A River Runs Between Us: Why the Ganga Treaty Needs Bharat’s Leadership Now
Paromita Das
New Delhi, 30th June: When one stands by the banks of the Ganga at dawn—watching the first rays of sunlight dance on its restless waters—it’s easy to forget that this ancient river now carries a burden heavier than ever before. For centuries, the Ganga has been the pulse of northern Bharat and Bangladesh, sustaining crops, feeding millions, and nurturing spiritual life. But today, this mighty river is also a mirror—reflecting our region’s environmental stress, our diplomatic tightropes, and our collective hope that we can find better ways to share what nature gives us.
As 2026 approaches, the clock on the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty is winding down. What was once celebrated as a milestone of neighborly trust now feels dated in an era of melting glaciers, erratic monsoons, and fierce competition for every drop. If there was ever a moment for Bharat to act boldly, it is now.
From Promise to Pressure
When Bharat and Bangladesh signed the treaty nearly three decades ago, it was more than a technical document—it was a bridge. After years of friction over the Farakka Barrage, both countries promised each other fairness, openness, and a commitment to work through differences rather than let the river divide them.
Yet as the years rolled by, the ground shifted. The flow data on which the treaty was built no longer matches today’s unpredictable climate. The Ganga’s dry season is drier, and upstream diversions, including from Nepal—absent from the agreement—are taking their toll. Bharat’s own states, like West Bengal and Bihar, clamor for more water to sustain farms and factories, while Bangladesh watches anxiously as its rice fields dry out and salinity creeps deeper into the Sundarbans.
The Joint Rivers Commission, once the backbone of dialogue, struggles to stay relevant. Meetings are infrequent, decisions slow, and when disputes arise, solutions feel stuck in the mud. A river that gave life is becoming a source of friction again—and the treaty that once calmed tensions now risks becoming another point of contention.
A Chance to Set a Global Standard
Despite these cracks, this moment is not a crisis—it’s a chance. Bharat is not just the upper riparian nation with the technical and economic power to guide this process; it is also the one with the most to gain by showing that regional water disputes can be resolved with foresight and fairness.
Bharat’s technological edge means it can anchor the next agreement in better data, dynamic allocations, and real-time monitoring. With strong federal engagement, it can balance the needs of states like Bihar and West Bengal, turning them into stakeholders rather than critics.
Geopolitically, the stakes are bigger than ever. With China’s rising footprint in South Asia, including its overtures to Bangladesh over river projects, Bharat must show that cooperation within the neighborhood is not just possible but preferable. A modern, resilient Ganga Treaty could echo well beyond South Asia as the world searches for transboundary river governance models that can withstand the shocks of climate change.
Rooted in Hope
It is easy to be cynical about big diplomatic promises. But I believe Bharat has both the tools and the moral duty to lead here. Water does not respect borders—but trust does. If Bharat steps up now, it can craft an agreement that not only divides water equitably but also unites two nations around common goals: climate adaptation, joint projects for clean energy and inland navigation, and stronger institutions that can adapt to what the next three decades will bring.
To do nothing would be to gamble with the future of millions who have no choice but to depend on the Ganga’s flow. To act—wisely and boldly—would be to honor the river’s legacy as a force that connects rather than divides.
A River of Shared Destiny
The Ganga’s journey is long and storied, winding through myth and modernity, faith and survival. As its treaty nears renewal, Bharat stands at a bend in the river of history. What happens next will reveal not just how we manage our shared water but how we imagine our shared future.
If Bharat can blend technology, diplomacy, and empathy into a fairer, future-ready treaty, it will not only secure water for its people and Bangladesh’s farmers—it will send a message that cooperation can still triumph in a fractured world.
In the end, the Ganga does not belong to any one nation. It belongs to all of us who live by its banks, drink its water, grow crops from its soil, and whisper our hopes into its currents. It deserves leaders wise enough to treat it not as a resource to divide, but a bond to protect.
