{"id":9593,"date":"2020-08-23T17:09:59","date_gmt":"2020-08-23T11:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?p=9593"},"modified":"2023-04-07T13:01:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T07:31:44","slug":"teesta-river-and-the-role-of-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/teesta-river-and-the-role-of-china\/","title":{"rendered":"TEESTA RIVER AND THE ROLE OF CHINA"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>TEESTA RIVER AND THE ROLE OF CHINA<\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Relevance: Prelims\/Mains: G.S paper II: Polity: International Relations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Why in News<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bangladesh is likely to receive\u00a0an almost USD 1 billion loan from China\u00a0for a comprehensive management and restoration\u00a0project on the Teesta river.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Teesta river water conflict<\/strong><strong>\u00a0is one of the most contentious issues between\u00a0India and Bangladesh\u00a0and the discussion comes amidst the ongoing\u00a0India-China standoff in Ladakh.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clearias.com\/up\/Why-Bengal-needs-Teesta.jpg\" alt=\"Teesta River Dispute between India and Bangladesh Explained - Clear IAS\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Recently, <\/strong>The<strong>\u00a0Border Roads Organisation (BRO)<\/strong>\u00a0has opened a 360 feet long bailey suspension bridge over Teesta river in Munshithang, Sikkim.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The construction was commenced in October 2019 under\u00a0<strong>Project Swastik.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The bridge will help the state tourism in growing and facilitate the movement of logistics for the Armed Forces deployed in the state.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>About Teesta River<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It is a\u00a0<strong>tributary of the Brahmaputra<\/strong>\u00a0(known as Jamuna in Bangladesh), flowing through India and Bangladesh.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Origin: In the Himalayas near Chunthang, Sikkim<\/strong>\u00a0and flows to the south through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drainage:<\/strong>\u00a0It covers nearly the entire floodplains of Sikkim while draining 2,800 sq km of Bangladesh. For West Bengal, it is the lifeline of half-a-dozen districts in North Bengal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Latest Development:<\/strong>\u00a0In March 2020, the\u00a0<strong>Border Roads Organisation<\/strong>\u00a0(BRO) opened a 360 feet long bailey suspension bridge over Teesta river in Munshithang, Sikkim.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About the Project:<\/strong>\u00a0The management and restoration project is\u00a0<strong>aimed at managing the river basin efficiently, controlling floods and tackling the water crisis<\/strong>\u00a0in Bangladesh in summers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>India-Bangladesh Teesta Dispute:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Bangladesh sought a<strong>\u00a0fair and equitable distribution of Teesta waters<\/strong>\u00a0from India, on the lines of the<strong> Ganga Water Treaty 1996.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The treaty is an\u00a0<strong>agreement to share surface waters at the Farakka Barrage<\/strong>\u00a0near their mutual border.<\/li>\n<li>In<strong>\u00a02015,<\/strong>\u00a0the Indian Prime Minister\u2019s visit to Dhaka\u00a0<strong>generated expectations<\/strong>\u00a0to take forward the issue but it\u00a0<strong>still remains unresolved.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>In India, individual\u00a0<strong>states have significant influence over transboundary agreements,<\/strong> impeding the policy making process.<\/li>\n<li><strong>West Bengal<\/strong>\u00a0is one of the key stakeholders of the Teesta agreement and is\u00a0<strong>yet to endorse the deal.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Bangladesh-China Relations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>China is the biggest trading partner of Bangladesh<\/strong> and is the foremost source of imports with the trade heavily favouring China.<\/li>\n<li>In 2019, the trade between the two countries was USD 18 billion.<\/li>\n<li>China<strong>\u00a0declared zero duty<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>on 97% of imports from Bangladesh<\/strong>\u00a0recently and the move has been widely\u00a0<strong>welcomed in Bangladesh.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The concession comes from\u00a0<strong>China\u2019s duty-free, quota-free programme for the least developed countries.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>China has promised around\u00a0<strong>USD 30 billion worth of financial assistance<\/strong>\u00a0to Bangladesh.<\/li>\n<li>China is the\u00a0<strong>biggest arms supplier to Bangladesh<\/strong>\u00a0which has been a\u00a0<strong>matter of legacy,<\/strong>\u00a0strengthening the defence ties.\n<ul>\n<li>After the\u00a0<strong>liberation of Bangladesh in 1971<\/strong>, officers of the Pakistan Army joined the Bangladesh Army and preferred Chinese weapons because they were\u00a0<strong>well-versed with them.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>As a result,\u00a0<strong>Bangladesh forces are equipped with Chinese arms<\/strong>\u00a0including tanks, missile launchers, fighter aircraft and several weapons systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>India-Bangladesh Relations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-hB6L3vn-ZMo\/WOxpTDyOwYI\/AAAAAAAAMmg\/_8IZ2tYDhOo0cxjoTrlep_BzDTa4KOO0QCLcB\/s1600\/Teesta%2BWater%2BDeal.jpg\" alt=\"Senthil Kumar: [CA] Teesta Water Treaty\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Both countries enjoy a\u00a0<strong>robust relationship with each other carefully cultivated since 2008,<\/strong>\u00a0especially with the Sheikh Hasina government.<\/li>\n<li>Bangladesh\u2019s\u00a0<strong>crackdown against anti-India outfits<\/strong>\u00a0has helped the Indian government\u00a0<strong>maintain peace in the eastern and Northeast states.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Bangladesh is<strong>\u00a0India\u2019s biggest trade partner in South Asia<\/strong> and the economic and development partnership has benefitted it.<\/li>\n<li>In 2018-19, India\u2019s exports and imports with Bangladesh stood at USD 9.21 billion and USD 1.04 billion respectively.<\/li>\n<li>India also\u00a0<strong>grants 15 to 20 lakh visas every year to Bangladesh nationals<\/strong>\u00a0for medical treatment, tourism, work and just entertainment.<\/li>\n<li>India has provided\u00a0<strong>developmental assistance worth USD 10 billion,<\/strong>\u00a0making Bangladesh the\u00a0<strong>largest recipient<\/strong>\u00a0of India\u2019s total of USD 30 billion aid globally.<\/li>\n<li>For India, Bangladesh has been a\u00a0<strong>key partner in the\u00a0Neighbourhood First\u00a0Policy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Both have\u00a0<strong>cooperated on\u00a0pandemic-related moves<\/strong>\u00a0and India has\u00a0<strong>provided medical aid<\/strong>\u00a0to Bangladesh.\n<ul>\n<li>Bangladesh supported India\u2019s call for a regional (<strong>SAARC<\/strong>)\u00a0<strong>emergency fund<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>for fighting\u00a0Covid-19\u00a0<\/strong>and declared a\u00a0<strong>contribution of USD 1.5 million<\/strong>\u00a0in March 2020.<\/li>\n<li>Bangladesh is<strong>\u00a0ready to collaborate in the\u00a0development of a Covid-19 vaccine<\/strong>, including its trial and looks forward to the early and affordable availability of the vaccine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>first trial run for trans-shipment of Indian cargo<\/strong>\u00a0through Bangladesh to Northeast states under a pact on the\u00a0<strong>use of Chittagong and Mongla ports<\/strong>\u00a0took place in July 2020.<\/li>\n<li>However, the proposed countrywide\u00a0<strong>National Register of Citizens<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>(NRC) and the\u00a0Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019\u00a0<\/strong>have<strong> irritated the relations.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Bangladesh has expressed reservations about CAA and has held it unnecessary.<\/li>\n<li>Bangladesh has expressed\u00a0<strong>concerns at the rise in killings at the Indo-Bangladesh border<\/strong>\u00a0by the<strong>\u00a0Border Security Force<\/strong>\u00a0(BSF).<\/li>\n<li>Indian Foreign Secretary has recently visited Dhaka to discuss<strong>\u00a0\u201csecurity-related issues of mutual interest\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0while trying to address the potential irritant issues.\n<ul>\n<li>There was an agreement on<strong>\u00a0timely implementation of projects<\/strong>\u00a0and greater attention to development projects in Bangladesh under the\u00a0<strong>Indian Lines of Credit.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Bangladesh has requested to reopen travel through\u00a0<strong>Benapole-Petrapole land port<\/strong>\u00a0which has been halted by the West Bengal government in the wake of the pandemic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In the wake of the Ladakh standoff, India needs to become even more sensitive to Chinese defence inroads into Bangladesh.<\/li>\n<li>The Teesta project is important and urgent from India\u2019s point of view, so it is crucial to solve it as soon as possible.<\/li>\n<li>India has to implement all its assurances in a time-bound manner otherwise the latent anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh threatens to damage the friendly ties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>For more such notes, Articles, News &amp; Views Join our Telegram Channel.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Telegram Link\" href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/triumphias\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>https:\/\/t.me\/triumphias<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Click the link below to see the details about the UPSC \u2013Civils courses offered by Triumph IAS.<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" title=\"Courses available\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/pages-all-courses.php\">https:\/\/triumphias.com\/pages-all-courses.php<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TEESTA RIVER AND THE ROLE OF CHINA Relevance: Prelims\/Mains: G.S paper II: Polity: International Relations Why in News Bangladesh is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[123,18],"tags":[2374,1983,174,2372,2378,2376,2370,1696,2373,2367,444,2377,2368,2366,2379,2365,2375,2371,392,2369],"class_list":["post-9593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","category-general-studies-ii","tag-arms-supplier","tag-bangladesh","tag-china","tag-china-bangladesh-relations","tag-citizenship-amendment-act","tag-economic-partnership","tag-ganga-water-treaty","tag-india","tag-india-bangladesh-relations","tag-loan","tag-national-register-of-citizens","tag-pandemic-related-cooperation","tag-restoration-project","tag-river-conflict","tag-security-related-issues","tag-teesta-river","tag-trade-partner","tag-transboundary-agreements","tag-union-public-service-commission-upsc","tag-water-crisis"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9593"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13676,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9593\/revisions\/13676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}