New Delhi, Mar 7 (Reporter) India and Bangladesh held the 86th meeting of the Joint Committee constituted to oversee implementation of the bilateral Ganga Water Treaty between the two nations that was held on March 6 in Kolkata. “This routine technical meeting, which is scheduled thrice annually, is part of an institutional structured mechanism associated with the implementation of the Treaty signed in 1996,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal today. “At the meeting, the two sides discussed technical issues pertaining to Ganga Water Treaty, measurement of water flows and other issues of mutual interest,” he added. According to Daily Star, the seven-member Bangladesh delegation at the meeting was headed by Md Abul Hossen, a member of the Joint River Commission. It quoted sources of both sides as saying that the two countries discussed setting up a joint technical committee within the next three months to renew the Ganga water treaty which is set for renewal in 2026. They said the two sides agreed on a collaborative approach to address key issues including information exchange on flood forecasting and water sharing. Under the existing Ganga Water Sharing Treaty, India can withdraw up to 40,000 cusecs of water if the availability at Farakka exceeds 75,000 cusecs. If the availability falls below 70,000 cusecs, the flow is to be divided equally between both countries. The treaty also guarantees Bangladesh a minimum of 35,000 cusecs if the flow ranges between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs. Prior to the Kolkata meeting, the Bangladesh delegation paid a two-day visit to the joint inspection sites at the Farakka barrage and the availability of water at other sites along the Ganges at Farakka on March 3 and 4. According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers. The Joint Rivers Commission was constituted in 1972 as a bilateral mechanism to address issues of mutual interest on common / border / trans-boundary rivers. The Ganga Water Treaty was signed on December 12, 1996 by the then Indian Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina...////...