India, Bangladesh hold joint ministerial-level meeting on river water sharing

India and Bangladesh held a joint ministerial-level meeting to discuss river water sharing between the two sides, on 25 August 

The discussions during this bilateral meeting were held on a number of ongoing bilateral issues of mutual interest including river water sharing of common rivers, sharing of flood data, addressing river pollution, conducting joint studies on sedimentation management, river bank protection works, etc.

Both sides finalized the text of the MoU on the Interim Water Sharing of the Kushiyara river. 

Both sides also welcomed the finalization of the design and location of the water intake point on the Feni River to meet the drinking water needs of Sabroom town in Tripura as per the October 2019 India -Bangladesh MoU on this subject.

According to India's water resources ministry, India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, of which seven have been identified earlier for developing a framework of water-sharing agreements on priority.

"During the meeting, it has been agreed to widen this area of ongoing cooperation by including eight more rivers for data exchange," the ministry said.

The Joint Rivers Commission of India and Bangladesh was constituted in 1972 as a bilateral mechanism to address issues of mutual interest on the common border and transboundary rivers.

The Indian delegation was led by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Jal Shakti.

And Bangladesh delegation was led by Mr. Zaheed Farooque, State Minister for Water Resources.  Mr. AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem, Deputy Minister for Water Resources was also part of the Bangladesh delegation.