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the lean months would have to be augmented to meet the requirements of the two coun-
tries. It was agreed that the problems should be approached with understanding so that
the interests of both the countries are reconciled and the difficulties removed in a spirit of
friendship and cooperation. It was, accordingly, decided that the best means of such aug-
mentation through optimum utilization of the water resources of the region available to the
two countries should be studied by the Joint Rivers Commission. The Commission should
make suitable recommendations to meet the requirements of both the countries.
It was recognized that it would take some years to give effect to the recommendations of the
commission, as accepted by the two governments. In the meantime, the two sides expressed
their determination that before the Farakka project is commissioned they would arrive at a
mutually acceptable allocation of the water available during the periods of minimum flow
in the Ganga.
The points that emerged from the Declaration are:
(i) Both sides agreed that the Farakka Barrage project would be commissioned
before the end of 1974 and that before commissioning of the barrage a mutually
acceptable allocation of the water available during the periods of minimum
flow in the Ganga at Farakka point would be arrived;
(ii) Both sides agreed that the fair weather flow of the Ganga in the lean months
would have to be augmented to meet requirements of the two countries.
(iii) Both sides agreed that the best means of augmentation of the lean season flow
of the Ganga would be through optimum utilization of the water resources
of the region, available to the two countries and the studies to be conducted
through Joint Rivers Commission. It was clear that the rivers flowing through
the two countries- the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Meghna and all their
tributaries- are to the explored for augmentation of the Ganga flow through the
J.R.C. for benefit of the two countries. In other words, linking the Brahmaputra
with the Ganga for augmentation of its flow was agreed to indirectly by the two
countries.
Though the construction of barrage was completed in 1973, the excavation of the
feeder canal was delayed by agitation of the local people against the loss of commu-
nication between the people of two banks of the canal and incomplete road bridge
across Dhulian-Pakur State Highway. Thus, the schedule in the Joint Declaration
could not be adhered to for commissioning the barrage before the end of 1974
and had to be deferred to April 1975 when both countries decided to test-run the
feeder canal. In this period, certain political changes occurred in two countries.
Mujibur Rahman became the President of Bangladesh in January 1975 and in India,
Dr. K. L. Rao was replaced by Jagjivan Ram as the Agriculture and Irrigation
Minister. A state of Internal Emergency was declared in India in May 1975, on the
suggestion of Indira Gandhi to the President to control widespread chaos and law-
lessness. Two ministerial-level meetings were held - one in New Delhi in February
1975 and the other in Dhaka in April 1975 to decide the modalities of test-running of
the feeder canal. In the Dhaka meeting, Jagjivan Ram demanded minimum 35,000
cusecs to save Calcutta port, which Bangladesh delegates did not accept. The accord
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