India-Bangladesh MoU on River Kushiyara: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently gave its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh on withdrawal of upto 153 cusecs of water each by India and Bangladesh from common border River Kushiyara.

Key Points:

• The MoU was signed on September 6, 2022 between the Ministry of Jal Shakti, India and Ministry of Water Resources, Bangladesh on withdrawal of upto 153 cusecs of water each by India and Bangladesh from common border River Kushiyara during dry season (1st November to 31st May) for their consumptive water requirement.
• This MoU will enable Assam government to withdraw upto 153 cusecs of water from the common stretch of Kushiyara river during dry season (1st November to 31st May) for their consumptive water requirement.
• A Joint Monitoring Team shall be set up by both countries to monitor the withdrawal of water by each side during the dry season.

About Kushiyara River:

• The Kushiyara River is a distributary river in Bangladesh and Assam, India.
• It forms on the India-Bangladesh border as a branch of the Barak River, when the Barak separates into the Kushiyara and Surma.
• The waters that eventually form the Kushiyara originate in the uplands of the state of Assam and pick up tributaries from Nagaland and Manipur.
• The Kushiyara rejoins with the Surma at Markuli in Ajmiriganj upazila (Bangladesh) and flows south upto Bhairab Bazar (Bangladesh) receiving the name Kalni.
• The Kalni meets with the Dhanu (Bangladesh), a branch of the Surma and renamed as the Meghna.