Ganga Water Treaty Nears Expiry: India Points to the Joint Rivers Commission
The Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh will complete its 30-year term on 12 December 2026. It was signed on 12 December 1996.
On 3 November 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two countries already have a "structured mechanism" to handle the treaty's needs: the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), which discusses all rivers that cross the border, including the Ganga.
The MEA said there is no update yet on the renewal of the treaty. It also said India has invited the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to visit New Delhi, but no dates have been fixed.
Because the treaty was signed at the level of Prime Ministers, its renewal is expected to be agreed at a meeting of the two Prime Ministers. Renewal also needs expert-level talks first.
Diplomatic sources from Bangladesh have said they expect a short-term automatic extension after 12 December. India has not said this so far.
The MEA also said India is following developments in Bangladesh, where garment workers have been protesting for fair wages amid high prices and an electricity shortage.
The Ganges Water Treaty, 1996
The Ganges Water Treaty is an agreement between India and Bangladesh on how to share the water of the Ganga (called the Padma in Bangladesh) during the dry months. The sharing happens at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal, just before the river enters Bangladesh. India built the barrage to push water into the Hooghly river and keep Kolkata Port working. Bangladesh, which lies downstream, needs the same water for farming, drinking and to stop sea water from moving inland.
The treaty's 30-year term ends on 12 December 2026, and it can continue only if both countries agree. India's statement that the Joint Rivers Commission is the "structured mechanism" means it sees the renewal talks happening through this existing channel, followed by a decision at the level of the two Prime Ministers.
Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC)
The Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission, or JRC, is a permanent body set up by India and Bangladesh in 1972 to work together on the rivers they share. The two countries share 54 rivers. The JRC is the main official table where both sides sit down to talk about sharing river water, flood warnings, river bank erosion and joint studies. At the top, it is led by the water resources ministers of the two countries.
With the Ganges Water Treaty ending on 12 December 2026, India has said the JRC is the structured mechanism for discussing the Ganga and all other shared rivers. This means the technical work on renewal is expected to move through the JRC's expert and ministerial levels, before a final decision by the two Prime Ministers.
- Ganges Water Treaty signed: 12 December 1996; term: 30 years; ends: 12 December 2026
- Renewal: only by mutual consent (Article XII); no automatic renewal clause
- Water shared at: Farakka Barrage, West Bengal; lean season: 1 January to 31 May, in 10-day periods
- Joint Rivers Commission: set up 1972; Statute signed 24 November 1972
- India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers
- 38th JRC ministerial meeting: 25 August 2022, New Delhi (first in about 12 years)
- Teesta 1983 ad hoc arrangement: India 39%, Bangladesh 36%, 25% unallocated