Review Ganga water treaty with B'desh: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday demanded that the Centre review the Ganga water sharing treaty with Bangladesh as "gross injustice" has been meted to Bihar in the treaty.

"Though it is an international issue, but gross injustice has been meted out to the interests of Bihar while signing the Ganga water sharing treaty with Bangladesh," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of his favourite 'Janata Darbar Programme'.

The water sharing problems continued since independence but what is necessary is that the Ganga water sharing treaty with Bangladesh be reviewed, he said.

Recalling that the treaty with Bangladesh was signed in 1996 when United Front was in power, he said the erstwhile government (Lalu Prasad) and others should have strongly objected to the accord.

Asked whether he favoured constitution of a regulatory authority in the wake of dispute over Teesta river water sharing treaty, Kumar said "it is unfortunate that the states are being overlooked ... we don't have any say in such accord."

"Farraka barrage has been constructed and accord has been signed on sharing of water of Ganga with Bangladesh... when the water is being regulated to Bangladesh, a unit of NTPC shuts down affecting power supply to Bihar," Kumar said.

On Mamata Banerjee's stand on the treaty, Kumar said "an affected state has raised the issue of its interest... it has the right to rake up it."