February 28 (TSP Bangla) – Senior government officials from India and Bhutan met in Thimphu on Wednesday for secretary-level talks on managing transboundary rivers and reviewing progress of the Punatsangchhu-I hydroelectric project.
The hydropower project is being implemented in Bhutan with support from the Government of India as part of the two countries’ long-standing energy partnership.
According to a source, the Indian delegation was led by V. L. Kantha Rao, secretary of the department of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation under the Union ministry of Jal Shakti. The delegation included officials from the department as well as representatives from the state governments of West Bengal and Assam.
“The team visited Bhutan from February 24 to 27. On February 25, at the secretary-level bilateral meeting, both sides reviewed the existing mechanisms of cooperation in flood management and forecasting,” said a source.
The two sides also discussed steps to strengthen and modernise the existing hydro-meteorological observation network and improve data-sharing mechanisms for flood forecasting on transboundary rivers, the source added.
Officials explored ways to enhance technical exchanges between the two countries and to address emerging challenges linked to climate change. These include glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other extreme weather events that pose increasing risks to downstream areas.
On Thursday, Rao visited the under-construction Punatsangchhu-I hydropower project and the recently commissioned Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project in Bhutan to review their progress and operations.
“The visit aimed to enhance water resources management and climate resilience in shared river basins. It reaffirmed the shared commitment of both countries to the sustainable and mutually beneficial management of transboundary water resources,” the source said.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has earlier said that rivers flowing from Bhutan into districts such as Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar trigger severe flash floods during the monsoon.
She had urged the Centre to set up a joint river commission with Bhutan, similar to the existing arrangement with Bangladesh.
In October last year, flash floods in the Nagrakata and Banarhat blocks of Jalpaiguri claimed several lives, caused widespread property damage and displaced hundreds of residents.
A source in the Bengal irrigation department said that despite the state’s request for a joint river commission, the Centre has yet to respond.
“We hope that appropriate issues, including flash floods in north Bengal caused by the rivers originating from Bhutan, regular sharing of rainfall and other ancillary data, were discussed. The monsoons are ahead, and we want an effective mechanism to address these problems,” said a source.
