Necessity of Regional Co-operation - The Ganga: Water Use in the Indian Subcontinent - page 267

Of the total volume of water, brought into Bangladesh, nearly 85% is carried
by these three rivers, making them the primary causative factors for floods in
Bangladesh. Flood flows of about 56,600 cumecs, or 2,000,000 cusecs, in the Ganga
and the Brahmaputra and about 8,490 cumecs, or 300,000 cusecs, in the Meghna
are generally sufficient to make the rivers and their tributaries/distributaries go into
spate and overflow their banks. Thus, almost every year, water-levels in these rivers
rise, spill over the banks and cause devastating floods. Bangladesh farm land is
flooded, almost every year, plunging people in misery. Parts of Bihar and West
Bengal in India are also affected in some years following the flood in the Ganga. The
main characteristics (length, drainage area & discharge) of the three rivers follow in
the Table 14.4.
The Table 14.5 shows that the maximum drainage area of the two rivers lay in
India. The Ganga and the Brahmaputra get maximum water from the Indian soil. It
is quite legitimate, therefore, for India demanding the maximum of its share for the
benefit of its own soil and irrigation, drinking water, navigation and power genera-
tion. All the rivers are 'international' as they flow through more than one country.
In respect of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, India is a mid-riparian country and in
that of Meghna, an upper one. Whatever may be the percentage of length, or of the
drainage area in the two countries, international law dictates that the interests of the
upper and the lower riparian countries have to be protected, as far as practicable.
Discussions are under way among India, Nepal and Bangladesh on issues of
regional cooperation and development of water resources. Being poor and of
uneven development, these South-Asian countries are considering many proposals
of developing and effectively using water resources. Some of these are:
I. Storage of surface and sub-surface water for irrigation and mitigating or
moderating flood;
II. Inter-basin transfer of water from India to Bangladesh and vice-versa;
III. Generation and distribution of hydro-electric power at suitable locations in
Bhutan, India and Bangladesh;
IV. Improvement of navigation as well as other communication and transit facilities
among Nepal, India and Bangladesh;
V. Financing and promotion of engineering expertise to secure the above; and
VI. Securing minimum guaranteed flow from India to Bangladesh.
Water resources abound in South-Asian countries, much of which flow,
unutilised, into the sea. Rainfall and its distribution are not uniform in different
months of the year. Therefore, judicious storage, transfer and utilization can only
help their all-round development. Keeping this and proposals from various agencies
in view, the potential of regional development etc. is shown in the Table 14.5 below.
These potentials for regional cooperation and exchanges cannot be achieved
without mutual understanding and good neighbourly relation. Though the primary
concern of each country is protection and promotion of its own interests, or the bene-
fit of their own people, some sacrifice is necessary for regional development. Storage
reservoirs may cause submergence of land and invite evacuation and resettlement