Dhaka, Delhi agree on 15-yr Teesta deal

Bangladesh and India yesterday agreed on a framework of a 15-year treaty for sharing the Teesta and the Feni rivers' water in dry season.
The treaty will be signed sometime either during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Bangladesh visit this year or later at a convenient time.
The agreement was reached at the daylong secretary-level talks of the Joint River Commission (JRC) on sharing water of common rivers between the two countries in Dhaka yesterday.
“We have agreed on a framework. But we still need to do the fine-tuning,” said Dhruv Vijai Singh, India's water resources secretary.
He was speaking at a joint press briefing at the state guesthouse Meghna where the talks were held.
“We have worked hard to remove the differences,” said Vijai, who led the Indian delegation. Both the governments are committed to settle all the outstanding issues, he added.
The details of the agreement will be settled in a minister-level meeting the date of which is yet to be set.
“The only job remaining is refining the framework,” said Sheikh Wahiduzzaman, water resources secretary of Bangladesh.
Wahiduzzaman, who led the Bangladesh delegation, said there is no need for further secretary-level talks on the matter.
A joint statement said the two sides discussed formulation of a work plan on sharing the water of other common rivers including Dharla, Dudhkumar, Manu, Khowai, Gomti and Muhuri.
The two neighbouring countries share 54 common rivers. In 1996, Bangladesh signed a treaty with India for sharing the Ganges water.
The water of Teesta is very crucial for Bangladesh, especially during the driest period from December to March. Sometimes in December and January, the water flow comes down to less than 1,000 cusec from 5,000 cusec.
The two countries have been discussing to settle the issue for over two decades.
Bangladesh submitted a draft of an interim treaty at the minister-level talks of the JRC in New Delhi last year when India presented some principles upon which they wanted to close the deal.
Before yesterday's talks, India's water resources secretary called on India's Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen and Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
Indian Delegation Calls on Dipu Moni
Dipu Moni yesterday underscored the urgent need for resolving all the outstanding water-related issues with India, including that of the Teesta.
She told this to the Indian water resources secretary who called on her after the talks yesterday.
Dipu Moni observed that all the countries of the region including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India should work together for a common approach to water resources management.
The foreign minister said the people of Bangladesh have a great expectation that the two countries will reach an agreement on equal sharing of the Teesta water.
The agreement is also essential for the economic development of the people of northern Bangladesh, she added.