The Farakka Barrage and Bhasani’s Long March

The Farakka Barrage has been a matter of dispute between Bangladesh and India for nearly 50 years. The construction of the dam would lead to the partial drying up and desertification of several rivers in Bangladesh, including the Padma.

It was a matter of such importance to Bangladesh that in 1976, veteran political leader, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, at the age of 95, led a long march protesting its construction.

That march took place on May 16, 1976. Forty-nine years later, the barrage continues to be a major issue in Bangladeshi politics.

Inception: A regional resource bent to local will

The barrage, on the Bhagirathi River, is located at Farakka in the Indian state of West Bengal from the border with Bangladesh. India uses it to control the flow of the Ganges. The dam was built to divert the Ganges flow into the Hooghly river during the dry season, from January to June, to flush out the accumulating silt which in the 1950s and 1960s was a problem at Kolkata Port on the Hooghly river.

The construction of the barrage began in 1962 and was completed in 1970.

The barrage became operational in 1975. It was designed to improve the navigability of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system, which was vital for Kolkata Port.

However, the barrage's operation, particularly the diversion of water during the dry season, has been a source of contention between India and Bangladesh, leading to ongoing water-sharing agreements.

India-Bangladesh Farakka Water agreement

The barrage has been the subject of a long-standing dispute between India and Bangladesh over the allocation and development of the water resources of the Ganges River, which flows from northern India into Bangladesh. The issue had remained a subject of conflict for almost 35 years, with several bilateral agreements and rounds of talks failing to produce results.

Eventually, a bilateral treaty was signed by the then Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on December 12, 1996, in New Delhi.

The treaty established a 30-year water-sharing arrangement and recognised Bangladesh's rights as a lower-level riparian.

However, the agreement has been in debate due to several reasons and one of the most significant flaws is the lack of a guaranteed minimum water flow for Bangladesh.

The other weakness are the absence of a strong enforcement mechanism, the temporary nature of the agreement, and lack of transparency in data sharing.

In addition, the environmental consequences for Bangladesh are severe, including increased salinity in the Sundarbans, loss of fisheries and agricultural productivity, and riverbank erosion.

Bhasani and Farakka Long March

Bhasani was strongly against the Farakka Barrage project, and he even warned about its impact on the Ganges River flow.

He believed it would significantly reduce the flow of the Ganges into Bangladesh, leading to desertification and other environmental issues.

In May 1976, six months before his death, Bhasani led the Farakka Long March, a major protest movement demanding a fair sharing of the Ganges water and the demolition of the Farakka Barrage.

This march was a significant event in Bangladeshi history. Bhasani's activism centred on the perceived environmental damage caused by the barrage, including the drying up of rivers like the Padma, increased salinity, and negative impacts on fisheries and water quality.