Pakistan’s water minister has accused nuclear foe India of blocking water to the country.

Islamabad, Oct 26/Nationalturk – At a time when India and Pakistan’s relations are already strained due to tension along border, Pakistan has accused nuclear foe India of blocking water to the country.

“India was blocking the share of Pakistan’s water inflow in the rivers,” Pakistan’s Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif has said.

He said Pakistan, country of over 180 million people, is currently water stressed and it is feared that in 10 to 15 years it will become a water-starved country, if it fails to develop water reservoirs on time.

Asif said Indus Water Treaty (IWT), which was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 and brokered by World Bank, was heavily tilted in favour of India.

“I am unable to give my opinion as to whether the treaty, which was signed in the era of military rule in Pakistan, should be reviewed or not,” he said.

IWT was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960

Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-sharing treaty between arch rivals India and Pakistan. The treaty, which was brokered by World Bank, was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Mohammad Ayub Khan.

The Indus System of rivers comprises three western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab and three eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas and Ravi. The treaty, under Article 5.1, envisages the sharing of waters of the rivers Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Jhelum and Chenab which join the Indus River on its left bank (eastern side) in Pakistan. According to this treaty, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, which constitute the eastern rivers, are allocated for exclusive use by India before they enter Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has exclusive use of the western rivers Jhelum, Chenab and Indus but with some stipulations for development of projects on these rivers in India.

Maintaining that water was a matter of life and death for Pakistan, Asif vowed to aggressively protect the water rights of Pakistan.

‘India hurting Pakistan’

“India was blocking water and hurting the country in sowing seasons and it released extra water when there was no need of water, particularly during the flood time,” he said.

The minister said the neighbouring country should consider requirements of Pakistan before constructing its water reservoirs.

“I personally feel that the Indus Water Treaty is not in favour of Pakistan,” Asif said and acknowledged that India enjoys geopolitical advantage over western rivers which the treaty granted were to be for Pakistan’s exclusive use.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Additional Commissioner of Indus Water Sheraz Memon said Pakistan had so far objected to seven power projects being built by India.

“The water flow in Indus has slightly reduced as India had the right to some of water on agriculture,” he said adding the water flows in the Chenab River had increased as compared to the water flows prior to the emergence of Indus Waters Treaty.

Memon said India was building 53 hydropower projects and seven dams. “On the Chenab River, India managed to construct 16 projects and four were in the construction phase. India was going to build the Ratle Hydropower Project of 850MW and if its design was not changed, Pakistan will move the International Court of Arbitration.”

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

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