Importance of the Kushiyara river treaty

• India and Bangladesh recently signed many agreements, including the Kushiyara water sharing agreement.

Kushiyara agreement

• Aim: addressing the issues with changing nature of the river as it causes floods during monsoon and goes dry during the winter when demand of water goes up.
• Bangladesh will be able to withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Kushiyara out of the approximately 2,500 cusecs of water in the river during the winter season.
• ~ 10,000 hectares of land and millions of people will benefit from the water including the farmers involved in Boro rice,
• cultivated during the dry season of December to February and harvested in early summer.
• Agreement addresses Bangladesh’s concern over water supply along the river during the winter months.

Use of Kushiyara water

• The water of Kushiyara will be channelled through the Rahimpur Canal project in Sylhet.
• In Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet
• Built to help the farmers access Kushiyara’s water
• Used to remain dry during the lean season without serving the purpose for which it was built.
• 8 km long
• Only supplier of water from the Kushiyara to the region
• Importance of Kushiyara water for Rahimpur Canal
• Additional water of Kushiyara through the Rahimpur Canal is the only way to ensure steady supply of water for irrigation in Sylhet.

Prelims takeaway

• Kushiyara River
• Teesta water sharing agreement