Bihar MP Sanjay Kumar Jha urges India to halt renewal of Farakka Water Treaty

Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha told the Rajya Sabha that the Farakka Water Treaty with Bangladesh, signed in 1996, will expire on 12 December 2026 and should not be renewed. He argued the treaty, originally intended to ensure water flow for the Kolkata port, has harmed Bihar’s water security, leading to falling groundwater levels and drinking‑water shortages in South Bihar.

Jha called for a new water‑sharing arrangement based on a scientific assessment of the Ganga basin’s needs up to 2050 for all dependent states, including Bihar. He urged the central government to consider the state’s current and future requirements before any decision on the treaty’s renewal.