Agreements & MOUs - The Ganga: Water Use in the Indian Subcontinent - page 145

two countries was sub-divided into 15 ten-daily periods with ratio, as shown in the
Schedule. For assessing the actual quantum of release in the Ganga's downstream
and in the Feeder Canal, a Joint Committee set up Observation Teams at Farakka
and at Hardinge Bridge (over the Padma) in Bangladesh to record daily flows, as
covered under Articles I-VII.
Articles VIII-XI related to long-term arrangements, under which Indo-
Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission was entrusted to carry out investigation and
study of the schemes, relating to the augmentation of the dry-season flows, pro-
posed, or to be proposed, by both sides to find a most economical and feasible
solution. The two governments pledged to consider the scheme and take appropriate
measures to implement it.
Articles XII-XV related to the review and duration of the Agreement. It could
be reviewed after three years and would remain in force for five years from the
date of effect. Though a short-term one, the Agreement added a new dimension to
Indo-Bangladesh relations with the hope that political goodwill would overcome the
difficulties which hitherto appeared insurmountable. India achieved the success of
its policy of bilateralism which it had adopted in principle and focused on it to the
outside world. The next United Nations General Assembly session was approaching
and the signing of the Agreement before it enhanced the prestige of India in the
world body which saw that a sensitive issue, like this should be resolved through
bilateral dialogue.
Discussion on the Agreement
Before the Agreement was signed in November, 1977, several rounds of talks
were held at officers' as well as Ministers' levels for finalizing the different arti-
cles. Discussions were also held between Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India
and General Zia-ur Rahman, President of Bangladesh in London in the middle of
June, 1977 during the Commonwealth conference.' The Statesman' of 14 June 1977
reported that India renewed its offer of building a canal, linking the Brahmaputra and
the Ganga to settle the dispute. It was made to the Bangladesh President by Morarji
Desai in their talks in London. During the negotiation, canards spread and accusa-
tions made regarding the terms of agreement, which provoked angry protests by A.
B. Vajpayee, the then External Affairs Minister of India (later a Prime Minister).
Addressing a rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna in early June 1977, he said a canard
was being spread that India had been sold out in the agreement with Bangladesh
and that it will completely ruin the Calcutta Port, as bulk of the Ganga water would
be diverted from the Farakka barrage to Bangladesh. He said that the canard was
baseless, as talks were still on with Bangladesh on the Farakka issue and no final
agreement had been reached. Again, in a Rajya Sabha session in July 26, 1977, the
opposition accused that the proposed meeting at Dhaka would endorse an agree-
ment, under which India would have to be content with only half of 40,000 cusecs
of water from Farakka which was needed to save Calcutta Port and that India would