This information was recently published in a report by the Indian media outlet The Times of India.

In a special discussion in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament, Sanjay Kumar Jha noted that the agreement, concluded three decades ago, has adversely affected Bihar's agriculture, irrigation system and drinking water supply. He alleged that especially during the dry season, when Bihar faces a severe water crisis, water from the Ganges is released to Bangladesh.

He further stated that although the Farakka Barrage was built to preserve the navigability of Kolkata Port, it has dangerously lowered Bihar's groundwater level. For this reason, he demanded that the old agreement not be renewed at the end of its term.

Referring to the Bihar government's own projection, he said the state would need about 2,000 cusecs of additional water by 2050. He therefore warned that extending the existing Farakka Agreement with Bangladesh without ensuring Bihar's long-term water security and protecting the livelihoods of lakhs of people in the region would cause severe damage.