Bangladesh’s PM Discusses Teesta Project to China

Why in News?

Recently, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, during his first official visit to China , sought Chinese support for the long-pending Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. 

About Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP):

The proposed project, estimated at nearly US$1 billion, is being developed with Chinese technical assistance through POWERCHINA.

Major Components:

• • River training and channel stabilization.
  • Construction of about 114 km of embankments.
  • Large-scale dredging of the river.
  • Land reclamation using dredged materials.
  • Flood control infrastructure.
  • Irrigation expansion.
  • Improvement of navigation.
  • Restoration of degraded riverbanks.

The project also proposes narrowing the river from an average width of around 3 km to nearly 1 km by converting the naturally braided river into a controlled meandering channel.

Objectives of the Project:

The Bangladesh government expects the project to:

• • Reduce riverbank erosion.
  • Minimise flood damage.
  • Increase irrigation coverage.
  • Improve dry-season water availability.
  • Enhance inland water transport.
  • Reclaim approximately 170 sq. km of land.
  • Promote regional economic development.

About The India-Bangladesh Teesta Water Dispute:

The Teesta is one of the most contentious transboundary rivers between India and Bangladesh.

Background

• • Around 54 rivers are shared by India and Bangladesh.
  • The Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) was established in 1972.
  • A draft Teesta Water Sharing Agreement was negotiated in 2011.
  • The agreement remains unsigned because of objections from the Government of West Bengal regarding water availability for farmers.

Bangladesh's Concerns

Bangladesh argues that:

• • Dry-season water availability has declined sharply.
  • Water diversion at India's Gazaldoba Barrage has significantly reduced downstream flow.
  • During the lean season, flows have reportedly fallen from nearly 10,000 cusecs in the 1990s to only a few hundred cusecs in some years.
  • Reduced discharge has affected agriculture, fisheries and livelihoods.

India's Concerns

India maintains that:

• • Water demands in North Bengal have increased.
  • State government consent is necessary due to India's federal structure.
  • River flow itself has declined because of climatic and hydrological changes.
  • Chinese involvement near the strategically important Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck) raises national security concerns.

 Way Forward:

• • Conclude a fair and sustainable India-Bangladesh Teesta Water Sharing Agreement.
  • Strengthen the Joint Rivers Commission.
  • Adopt Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM).
  • Ensure transparent environmental and social impact assessments.
  • Increase stakeholder consultation with local communities and experts.
  • Prioritise nature-based solutions over excessive structural interventions.
  • Promote India-Bangladesh cooperation in flood forecasting, sediment management and climate adaptation.
  • Ensure infrastructure projects are economically viable, environmentally sustainable and geopolitically balanced.

Conclusion:

The Teesta is no longer merely a river shared by India and Bangladesh, it has become a focal point where transboundary water governance, environmental sustainability, domestic politics and Indo-Pacific geopolitics converge. While Bangladesh seeks development through the Teesta restoration project with Chinese assistance, unresolved upstream water sharing, ecological concerns and strategic competition underscore the need for a cooperative, science-based and basin-wide approach. A durable solution lies not only in engineering interventions but also in equitable water diplomacy, ecological stewardship and sustained regional cooperation.