Ranbir Singh Pathania
The Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan met after a thaw of about two and a half years. Deliberations were held. Reportedly, data was exchanged and clarifications were made from both sides. And it was further resolved to again sit across the table.
But the collective will and sentiment of the people of India is reflected in the statement of PM Modi given in the backdrop of Pulwama attack. “Blood and water cannot flow together.”
Voices have consistently been raised from across the country to review Indus Water Treaty. A treaty which was settled around six decades back, at least, needs to be given a fresh look, particularly, in the changed set of circumstances.
The Indus system comprises the main Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.
The sharing formula, devised after prolonged negotiations, sliced the Indus system into two halves – The ‘western rivers’ (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) were mainly kept for Pakistan and India was allowed to use 20% water of these rivers. While the three ‘eastern rivers’ (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) were by and large given to India.
In order to understand the formula and the Treaty more simply, India conceded 80.52% of the aggregate water flows in the Indus system to Pakistan. And also made over 83 crore pounds sterling to Pakistan to build replacement canals from the western rivers.
It was a bit otiose and unacceptable too. An upper riparian country surrendering its upper riparian position on the western rivers for maintaining absolute control over eastern rivers.
Although tinkering with IWT would pivot around many political, diplomatic and hydrological considerations.
Article XII of the IWT says that it “may from time to time be modified.” Given the changed set of circumstances, there is an urgent need to modify the treaty.
Increased global warming has caused an unexpected rise in temperature in the Himalayas. And it is much higher than the global average. Moreso.
* As Pakistan has been behaving irresponsibly and engaging in wars and ongoing cold war too. While bombing of dams, barrages and power stations is a sufficient ground/clause for revocation of the Treaty.
* As ruthless, wayward ‘river training works’ of Pakistan are posing flooding hazards in the Rann of Kutch.
* As Kashmir-centric parties have always been clamouring for revocation of the Treaty. In 2003, a unanimous resolution was passed by J & K Assembly in this regard. The said demand was reiterated and accepted by the J & K Assembly in 2016 too.
* As Pakistan has been trying to create issues just out of thin air before PCA regarding Rattle project, Baghliar and Kishenganga projects.
The exigencies time and place, a such, stand behind the overweening demand to revisit the Indus Water Treaty.
Nonetheless, on the other hand, we need to harness the untapped potential out of the permissible quota of India. India has been woefully lagging behind in not utilizing the 3.6 million acre feet (MAF) of “permissible storage capacity” granted by the IWT on the western rivers. Poor water development projects have allowed 2-3 MAF of water to easily flow into Pakistan which needs to be urgently tapped and utilised. Out of the total estimated capacity of 11406 MW electricity on western rivers, only 3034 MW has been tapped as yet.
So, amongst immediate works are completion and commissioning of Tulbul Navigation project on Jhelum, Ratle and Baglihar hydro projects on Chenab, Bursar hydroelectric project.
Already, India has fast-tracked the work on Shahpur Kandi dam project, a second Sutlej-Beas link in Punjab and the Ujh Dam project in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a step in the rightful direction.
Climate change-induced glacier melting in the Himalayas threatens voluble future water supply in the Indus basin. Going by the present scheme of things, 40% of Indian population is expected to lose access to drinking water by 2030. Lesser groundwater recharge is also another factor necessitating India’s greater need for water. Thus, harnessing and intelligibly managing the Indus river system sustainably holds the key for improving human development in India and prolifically contributing to regional peace and security in South Asia too.
Any prospects of integrated development of the Indus waters, which is the only long-term answer to the basin’s growing thirst, have not yet materialized, possibly due to trust deficit between the riparian countries. Thus, it is more imperative – in a changed geopolitical, ecological, scenario – for India to explore the possibilities for a review of Indus treaty which addresses fast-evolving water-sharing challenges in India.
As change is the law on nature. It is as natural as life.
Let us resolve and evolve a broader consensus and a firm political will on revisiting the Indus Water Treaty.
(The columnist practices law at the J & K, High Court of Judicature, and had been member of 11th J&K Legislative Assembly.)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Follow our WhatsApp channel
