He gave this assurance in a letter to Sanjay Kumar Jha, JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha member from Bihar. In the letter, Jaishankar said multiple inter-ministerial meetings have been held with various ministries and concerned parties regarding the implementation and future of the treaty.
He said these discussions considered the views and demands of all concerned parties, including Bihar's drinking water and industrial water needs. An authorised representative of the Bihar government also participated in several consultative meetings in 2023 and 2024.
The 30-year Ganga water-sharing treaty, signed between Bangladesh and India on 12 December 1996, is due to expire in December this year. The treaty is related to the management of dry-season water flow at the Farakka Barrage.
Earlier, on 6 August, Sanjay Kumar Jha had demanded protection of Bihar's interests during the renewal of the treaty in the Rajya Sabha. Welcoming the central government's assurance, he said Bihar's drinking water, irrigation and industrial needs should be fairly considered on the basis of scientific assessment.
