Water talks with India must be based on basin wise approach: Dr Ainun  

Water resources and climate change specialist Dr Ainun Nishat said on Saturday Bangladesh need to discuss the water sharing issues with India on a 'basin wise approach' and need detail data to ensure the country's rights and share over the flow of common rivers.
"The data should be specific and independent, rather we could say we need separate data on every and each river to ensure our rights over the water flow, one package "Basin wise development plan" will not ensure it," Prof Nishat told the Daily Observer on Saturday.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in FOC meeting in New Delhi (January 29) have agreed to hold the Secretary Level Meeting of Joint Rivers Commission and likely to sign a deal on water sharing of six common rivers at the Prime Minister-level meeting in Dhaka in March 2021.
Earlier, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami has said they (India) want to move 'very quickly' on water sharing of six common rivers during the celebratory year of 2021 showing that the spirit of partnership and sharing between the two countries remain very strong.
Dr Nishat said, "We do not have any clear cut idea about the issue, but I should say we (Bangladesh) are yet to complete the full task from our side, may be India is working on it but to understand the whole thing, we need proper data to analyse the thing it is for sure, as the rivers have shifted their courses inside and outside Bangladesh territory     and bordering areas.
"We need to cash the proper benefits from the Ganges treaty by means of a joint survey and also about basin-based cooperation in accordance to the 2011 agreement regarding water management of common rivers," Dr Ainun Nishat further said.
In December 2020, Bangladesh and India agreed to sign a framework agreement for sharing of the waters of six common rivers - Manu, Muhuri, Gumti, Dharla, Dudhkumar and Khowai at the technical committee meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).
During the meeting, Bangladesh requires detailed information on the 'use' of waters of the common rivers for ensuring her equal rights over the water flows of the common rivers as a downstream country.
Both the sides shared information of these six common rivers. We shared data of the 'certain points' from 1996 to 2018. We requested them to provide all information of the use of waters of these rivers to calculate the exact amount of our share, we are waiting, an official said preferring anonymity.
'Certain points' stand for the bordering countries pointed areas by the Indian members of JRC.
In the virtual meeting, at the level of members of the Joint Rivers Commission in December, the Indian side expressed its intent to engage its states bordering Bangladesh in the process of finalising a framework agreement on sharing of waters of six common rivers.
Both the sides sought detailed information on the withdrawal of waters upstream and downstream of the six rivers keeping in considerations the potentials of basin-wise management of the rivers ensuring environmental flows and sediment management, officials said.
Bangladesh and India have discussed the technicalities of the principles of signing a framework agreement for the sharing of waters of the six rivers in line with the instructions of the prime ministers during a visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka in 2011, a Bangladesh delegation member said
Bangladesh and India share at least 54 common rivers and the two countries have an agreement on sharing of the water of the River Ganges signed in 1996.
Bangladesh has five-month lean season, so we need to be very cautious to sign the deal, a senior official claimed.
However, the two countries are yet to make a move for signing an agreement on sharing of the water of the River Teesta despite repeated shows of support by the top leaders from both sides.