Farakka Barrage

The Farakka Barrage is a massive physical infrastructure project, a barrage constructed across the Ganga River in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Construction began in 1962 and it became operational on April 21, 1975, with the primary purpose of solving the problem of siltation in the Kolkata Port (or Calcutta Port). The barrage was designed to divert water from the Ganga into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River to flush out accumulated sediment and maintain the port's navigability. It works by diverting up to 40,000 cusecs of water through a 42 km long Feeder Canal into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River. The Barrage is intrinsically connected to the complex international relations between India and Bangladesh, specifically through the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty. This treaty, which is set to expire on December 12, 2026, governs the sharing of the Ganga's flow at Farakka during the lean season. A key provision of the treaty guarantees 35,000 cusecs of water to both countries in alternate 10-day periods during the leanest part of the season, from March 11 to May 10. A recent change involves the construction of a new four-lane bridge near the barrage to alleviate traffic congestion, but the barrage structure itself remains, with its operational mechanism and the governing treaty being the central points of discussion.