Kushiyara River, Origin, Treaty, Key Details

Kushiyara River is a transboundary river between India and Bangladesh. It is a distributary of Barak river. It forms on the India-Bangladesh border as a branch of the Barak River, when the Barak separates into the Kushiyara and Surma. From its origin at the mouth of the Barak, the Kushiyara flows westward forming the boundary between Assam, India, and the Sylhet District of Bangladesh. In 2022 India and Bangladesh signed an interim water sharing pact with regard to the Kushiyara River. 

Kushiyara River Treaty

• The Kushiyara River Treaty was signed in September 2022 to establish a framework for sharing water from the Kushiyara River.
• It is the first water sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh since the landmark Ganga Water Treaty, 1996.
• The agreement aims to address seasonal water shortages and flooding issues in both lower Assam (India) and Sylhet (Bangladesh).
• Under this treaty, Bangladesh can withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Kushiyara out of the approximately 2,500 cusecs of water. This allocation ensures adequate water for irrigation in Sylhet’s dry-season (Boro) rice cultivation.
• The water of Kushiyara will be channelled through the Rahimpur Canal project in Sylhet. 

Unlike the Teesta River dispute with West Bengal, the Kushiyara agreement does not require state level approval from Assam.

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