The first JRC ministerial meeting in five years was held with high hopes for a deal against the backdrop of the "successful summit" between Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Manmohan Singh in New Delhi in January. Officials said both countries were hopeful of making significant progress in resolving the issues related to sharing of Teesta water.
The India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) asked water resources secretaries of the two countries to analyze Dhaka's draft on expeditious conclusion of an interim agreement on sharing the Teesta waters.
On the final day of the 37th JRC meeting in New Delhi, India also agreed on Bangladesh's proposal for tripartite talks on building reservoirs in Nepal.
Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen led the Bangladesh side in the meeting while his counterpart Pawan Kumar Bansal the Indian side.
Bangladesh informed the JRC that during the period from 1997 to 10th March 2010, it has received lesser quantity of water at Farakka than its share agreed in the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.