West Bengal's hydropower plan ache for Dhaka, reports The Telegraph

West Bengal government's in-principle decision to set up three hydropower projects in the Darjeeling hills, risks further offence to Bangladesh which has been waiting more than a decade for a treaty on the sharing of the Teesta's waters, said a report by Indian newspaper The Telegraph. 

"Two of the three planned Darjeeling projects are likely to reduce the volume of water in the Teesta that is available for irrigation, particularly during the December-April lean period when the demand for irrigation water goes up in Bangladesh," the report said.

Citing sources, it said the West Bengal government had given in-principle approval to the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) on the Teesta Low Dam Project (TLDP) I and II, on the Bara Rangeet river, which will have a combined capacity to produce 71MW electricity. Similar approval has been given for a DPR on the Balason Hydro Electric Project (38MW) on the Balason and Rangbhang rivers.

The TLDP I and II have generated much interest as the Bara Rangeet, on which they will come up, joins the Teesta which flows into Bangladesh. Dhaka has a right to a share of the Teesta's waters. The treaty was to be signed in September 2011 but was stalled because of opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

She contended that the Teesta lacks enough water to meet the irrigation needs of both countries, especially during the lean season. Over the past few years, Dhaka has repeatedly communicated to Delhi its discomfort at the delay in concluding the Teesta agreement.

But there has been no progress on the matter because of the strained relations between Delhi and Kolkata.

"The wounds in Dhaka got deeper after the West Bengal irrigation department's plans to complete two canals under the Teesta Barrage Project came to light. Sources in Bangladesh said the subject might come up for discussion between the two countries when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits India later this year. Against this backdrop, the clutch of planned hydropower projects in north Bengal -- over and above the 11 hydropower projects in Sikkim -- has come as another piece of bad news for Dhaka, a source in the Bangladesh foreign policy establishment said," the report added.

Low volumes of Teesta water and the consequently reduced flow of fertile silt have created large tracts of dry land, unsuitable for cultivation, in northern Bangladesh.

River experts on the Indian side also believe that too much focus on using the Teesta for irrigation and energy generation might kill the river.