NEW DELHI: India has sought an emergency meeting with Bangladesh to discuss the Ganga water-sharing schedule in view of unprecedented low flows in the Ganga at Farakka in West Bengal. India fears that the low flows may affect power generation at the National Thermal Power Corporation's Super Thermal Power House at Farakka and hit operations at the Kolkata port fed by the feeder canal.

The feeder canal waters that take water to the Kolkata port are also used en route for cooling the thermal plant. Any impact on the thermal plant would affect power supply to parts of West Bengal — a possibility that does not augur well with Assembly elections round the corner.

There has been scanty rainfall in the catchment areas of Ganga basin. The water level in the 12 reservoirs in the Ganga basin is minus 55 per cent. Consequently, the storage is around 51,700 cusecs. The alarm bells would start ringing at 50,000 cusecs, the sources said.

Under the treaty India and Bangladesh share Ganga waters during the lean season, from January to May, based on the average water flows of 40 years. As per the schedule, between March 11 and May 10, each country would get 35,000 cusecs of water alternatively for 10 days each. At the current level of 51,700 cusecs, India would be left with barely 16,700 cusecs for its feeder canal — when it is Bangladesh's turn to draw its share — which would not be enough depth for the feeder canal. A minimum of 20,000 cusecs is required for the feeder canal, the sources said.

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