'The Silt Is Ours, Water Is Bangladesh's': JDU's Sanjay Jha Slams Farakka Treaty, Blames RJD for Sacrificing Bihar's Interests
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Janata Dal (United) acting national president Sanjay Jha launched a fierce political attack regarding the long-standing Farakka Water Treaty, declaring that Bihar's vital water resources and economic interests have been systematically sacrificed for over three decades. Speaking during a high-profile press conference at the party's state headquarters in Patna, Jha emphasized that this historical injustice will no longer be tolerated by the state. He noted that the overwhelming public participation across four districts during the initial phase of the ongoing 'Nitish Samvad' public outreach program clearly demonstrates widespread grassroots support throughout Bihar for confronting the treaty's detrimental impacts.
Disproportionate Water Sharing and Silt Accumulation Crises
Highlighting the severe structural imbalances embedded in the bilateral agreement, Sanjay Jha pointed out that under the current Farakka Water Treaty terms, Bihar is compelled to release 1,500 cumecs (approximately 53,000 cusecs) of Ganges water to Bangladesh during the dry lean season. In stark contrast, Bihar itself receives a meager 400 cumecs (around 14,000 cusecs), forcing the state to surrender nearly 1,100 cumecs (39,000 cusecs) of its rightful share. Jha underscored the bitter irony that when Bihar experiences peak agricultural and domestic water demand, its reservoirs retain a mere 35 percent of capacity. Furthermore, he explained how the Farakka barrage has drastically accelerated massive silt accumulation in the riverbed, crippling the Ganga's natural flow and water-holding capacity while directly exacerbating catastrophic annual flooding across rural Bihar.
Direct Political Attack on RJD and Positive Central Assurance
Directing his political ire toward opposition parties, Jha explicitly blamed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), recalling that the controversial Farakka Water Treaty was originally signed in 1996 when the RJD held immense political leverage at the national level while ignoring Bihar's fundamental interests without raising a single word of protest. Praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's consistent, unyielding stance over the past 15 years in fiercely advocating for the state's riparian rights, Jha revealed that the party formally raised the urgent grievance during the recent monsoon session of Parliament. In response, the Union Foreign Minister has issued a positive written assurance confirming that Bihar's strategic interests and water security will be prioritized moving forward. The press conference saw the presence of several senior leaders, including Minister Madan Sahni, Chief Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, Legislative Council Chief Whip Sanjay Kumar Singh, State General Secretary Anjum Ara, and state spokespersons Dr. Anupriya and Chandan Kumar Singh.
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