India-Bangladesh JRC meeting on common rivers postponed

The two countries first discussed the exchanging of water in 1985. Since then, the neighbours have discussed the issue of sharing water from the six rivers mentioned, but could not reach any consensus.

Dhaka: The Bangladesh and India Joint River Commission's (JRC) meeting, which was scheduled for today for updating data on six common rivers, has been postponed.

The deferral of the meeting will delay the exchange of data on rivers-the Muhuri, Monu, Dharla, Khowai, Gumti and Dudhkumar which was last updated 34 years ago.

According to the media report, the meeting was scheduled to be held in Delhi.

"The meeting is not taking place as we did not get the government order on it. We will re-fix a new date for the meeting later," KM Anwar Hossain, a JRC member, said.

According to the daily, Bangladesh postponed the talks.

The JRC was jointly formed by India and Bangladesh to resolve conflicts arising from the sharing of water of trans boundary rivers.

The two sides last time met in August where they decided to meet again on December 18 to exchange updated data on six common rivers and discuss the framework for water-sharing.

India and Bangladesh have 54 common rivers. However, the two countries have only one relevant treaty signed in 1996 which oversees the sharing of water of the Ganges river.

The two countries first discussed the exchanging of water in 1985. Since then, the neighbours have discussed the issue of sharing water from the six rivers mentioned, but could not reach any consensus.