JD(U) Launches Bihar-Wide Campaign Demanding Farakka Barrage Be Dismantled

The Janata Dal (United) has intensified its campaign against the Farakka Water Sharing Treaty with Bangladesh, reviving former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s long-standing demand for the dismantling of the Farakka Barrage. The campaign comes ahead of the expiry of the 30-year agreement in December, with the party seeking to mobilise public opinion across 12 districts along the Ganga in Bihar.

The JD(U) campaign, titled “Nitish Samvad”, focuses on the party’s argument that the barrage contributes to heavy siltation and recurring floods in Bihar. Sanjay Kumar Jha, the party’s national working president and Rajya Sabha MP, said the initiative was intended to connect with people and highlight Nitish Kumar’s repeated appeals to the Centre to dismantle the barrage.

The 1996 agreement, officially known as the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, regulates the sharing of Ganga waters between India and Bangladesh at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal, particularly during the dry season from January 1 to May 31. The treaty, signed on December 12, 1996, is scheduled to lapse in December, prompting renewed political debate over its continuation and possible renegotiation.

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The JD(U) has already taken the campaign to Buxar, Bhojpur, Begusarai and Khagaria, with plans to cover the remaining districts before the treaty’s expiry. Jha said Nitish Kumar would not personally travel as part of the campaign, but his recorded speeches and audio messages would be used during interactions with residents.

The party has opposed renewal of the treaty, arguing that it does not adequately serve Bihar’s interests and is linked to the state’s flood-related problems. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has separately stressed that any future arrangement must protect the state’s interests, noting that Bihar currently receives Ganga water mainly between July and October despite requiring adequate flow throughout the year.

Built in 1975 to divert water from the Ganga into the Hooghly River and help flush silt from the Kolkata Port, the Farakka Barrage has long been controversial. While it was intended to support navigation, its impact on downstream water flow has been a major concern in Bangladesh, where reduced dry-season water availability has been associated with shortages, soil salinity and ecological stress. The treaty’s approaching expiry has now brought the dispute back into focus in Bihar’s political discourse.

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