Context
- India has stated that it will consider “all related developments” while formulating its approach to the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP) in Bangladesh.
- The statement comes after Bangladesh discussed the Teesta project with China during Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus’ recent visit, making the issue significant from the perspectives of India–Bangladesh relations, transboundary water sharing, and regional geopolitics.
About the Teesta River
- Origin: Rises from the Pahunri glacier (also called Teesta Kangse) in the Eastern Himalayas, in the Tso Lhamo lake region of North Sikkim.
- Course: Flows through Sikkim and West Bengal (India) before entering Bangladesh, where it joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) river.
- Basin states: Sikkim and West Bengal in India; Rangpur division in Bangladesh.
- Right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra — a key distinction often tested (many assume it’s a Ganga tributary; it is not).
- Known as Trishna/Tri-Srota in some historical references — associated with three streams.
Teesta River Water Sharing Dispute
- The Teesta is one of the 54 transboundary rivers shared between India and Bangladesh.
- Water sharing remains unresolved due to differing requirements of:
- West Bengal
- Government of India
- Bangladesh
- A proposed 2011 Teesta Water Sharing Agreement could not be signed due to objections from the West Bengal Government.
- The river is crucial for irrigation in:
- North Bengal
- Northwestern Bangladesh
TRCMRP (Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project)
- A Bangladesh-led master plan for dredging, embankment construction, and river management of the Teesta to address flooding, erosion, and low dry-season flow.
- Originally, China had shown interest in funding and implementing this project (part of its outreach in South Asia/BRI-adjacent engagement).
- India has separately offered to prepare a feasibility report for the same project, creating a competitive dynamic between India and China over Bangladesh’s river management infrastructure.
Consider the following statements regarding the Teesta River:
1. It originates from Tso Lhamo Lake in Sikkim.
2. It is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
3. The 2011 Teesta Water Sharing Agreement between India and Bangladesh has been formally implemented.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: A
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct: The Teesta River is a perennial, glacier-fed Himalayan river that originates at an elevation of approximately 5,280 meters from Tso Lhamo (Chho Lhamo) Lake and the associated Pahunri/Khangse glaciers in North Sikkim.
• Statement 2 is correct: After flowing through Sikkim and West Bengal, the Teesta enters Bangladesh, where it ultimately joins the Brahmaputra River (known locally as the Jamuna) as a major right-bank tributary.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The 2011 agreement has not been formally implemented. Since 2011, India and Bangladesh have remained in a diplomatic deadlock regarding a comprehensive water-sharing agreement due to regional domestic and political constraints.