Padma Barrage — Bangladesh’s Mega Dam on the Ganges

Relevance: GS Paper II — International Relations (India–Bangladesh); GS Paper I — Geography (Rivers)

Source: Government of Bangladesh / Ministry of External Affairs, 2026

1 · Context

The Bangladesh government has approved the first phase of the $2.8 billion Padma Barrage project on the Padma River — the name given to the main distributary of the Ganges once it enters Bangladesh. The timing is sensitive: the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh expires in December 2026.

2 · About the Padma Barrage

• Location: across the Padma River in Rajbari district, Bangladesh.
• Size & cost: a 2.1-kilometre barrage costing about $2.8 billion (Tk 344.97 billion).
• Capacity: stores nearly 2,900 million cubic metres of monsoon water.
• Purpose: irrigate 2.88 million hectares across 19 drought-prone districts; reduce salinity intrusion in south-western Bangladesh.
• Stated rationale: to counter the downstream impact of India’s Farakka Barrage.

3 · Where the two barrages sit

GANGES–PADMA RIVER SYSTEM · KEY MARKERS

Farakka Barrage (India · 1975) On the Ganges in West Bengal. Diverts water into the Hooghly River to maintain navigability of Kolkata Port.

Padma Barrage (Bangladesh · 2026) 2.1 km long, $2.8 billion, Rajbari district. Aim: irrigate 2.88 million hectares; counter Farakka’s downstream impact.

 

MEMORY HOOK In Bangladesh, the Ganges is called the Padma, and the Brahmaputra is called the Jamuna. They later meet and form the Meghna and drain into the Bay of Bengal.

4 · Why it matters — the geopolitical context

• 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty: signed by Indian PM H.D. Deve Gowda and Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina; a 30-year framework for sharing the Ganges’ dry-season flow (January–May). Expires December 2026.
• Indus precedent: India’s recent suspension and renegotiation of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan has weakened the assumption that old water treaties are permanent.
• Regional dam-building race: with China building mega-dams on the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo) and India expanding hydropower, river engineering in South Asia is turning competitive rather than cooperative.

5 · Other key institutions and principles

• Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), 1972: India–Bangladesh body that manages 54 common border rivers; also handles pending Teesta River sharing.
• UN Watercourses Convention, 1997: two core principles — equitable and reasonable utilisation, and the obligation not to cause significant harm to downstream states.
• Neighbourhood First Policy: India’s framework for cooperative, integrated ties with immediate neighbours.

VALUE BOX · QUICK REVISION 1972: Joint Rivers Commission set up. 1975: Farakka Barrage commissioned by India. 1996: Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed (Deve Gowda – Sheikh Hasina). December 2026: Ganges Treaty expires. 2026: Padma Barrage approved — 2.1 km, $2.8 billion, Rajbari. Remember: Ganges → Padma; Brahmaputra → Jamuna (in Bangladesh).

MCQ · PRELIMS PRACTICE

With reference to India–Bangladesh river relations, consider the following statements:

1. The Padma is the name given to the Brahmaputra river after it enters Bangladesh.
2. The Farakka Barrage was commissioned by India in 1975 primarily to divert water into the Hooghly River and maintain the navigability of Kolkata Port.
3. The Joint Rivers Commission between India and Bangladesh was established in 1972 to manage common border rivers.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only	(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only	(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Statement 1 — Incorrect (the trap). The Padma is the name given to the Ganges — not the Brahmaputra — after it enters Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra, once in Bangladesh, is called the Jamuna.

Statement 2 — Correct. Farakka Barrage was commissioned in 1975 on the Ganges in West Bengal to divert water into the Hooghly and maintain Kolkata Port’s navigability.

Statement 3 — Correct. The JRC was established in 1972 to manage 54 common border rivers and to negotiate water-sharing frameworks, including the pending Teesta agreement.