NEW DELHI : Amid the chill in Indo-Pak ties post Uri attack, water became another issue of face-off between the two neighbours during the year gone by with India virtually freezing talks with Pakistan over the 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
The government’s recent constitution of a high-level task force to look into IWT’s strategic aspects and its strong view of World Bank setting up separate mechanisms to entertain Pakistan’s concerns over two projects in Jammu-Kashmir suggest it may not soften its stance over the issue this year or near future.
The government in 2016 saw some progress in implementation of Namami Gange programme after it took two years to work out action plan: it started work on phase I of cleaning the river and sanctioned 41 STPs development/rehabilitation projects of 808.23 MLD capacity.
It also approved Rs 2,446 crore for development of ghats and crematoria and floated a committee to frame draft Ganga Act to ensure speedy implementation of the programme, which is dear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, 128 projects have been given approved under the programme at an estimated cost of Rs 9,419 crore.
The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation identifying 99 irrigation projects, many of them in drought-prone areas, for fast-tracking their completion within three years and releasing two tranches of funds through NABARD until now for the purpose were other key developments in 2016.
The Centre’s efforts to launch the nearly Rs 10,000-crore Ken-Betwa river-linking project, the first such attempt at connecting inter-state rivers, early last year did not materialise. The project, which received sanction from National Wildlife Board in August, still awaits forest and environment clearances. In addition, the government is yet to finalise funding pattern for the national project before launching its ground work.
Among other issues, the government approving an amendment to Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to set up a single permanent tribunal to adjudicate in disputes among states over sharing river water subsuming existing dispute-specific tribunals was another significant step.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti refused to comment on the future of the IWT, which neither India nor Pakistan can revoke unilaterally.
Sources though maintained the situation apropos to the water distribution pact was “exceptional” given the treaty had weathered all hostilities between the two countries ever since it was framed in 1960.
“It was a very strong step taken by the government (in September). We had not been in such a situation in the past, it is an exceptional situation. The Indian government though will strive to exploit country’s due rights under the treaty,” a source said.
On the river-linking project, Bharti expressed hope that
the programme envisaged during previous NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee will start taking shape this year with launch of work on linking Ken and Betwa rivers, flowing in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh respectively.
“In 2017, our target is to launch the river linking project as soon as possible. We also intend to start phase II of Ganga after launching phase-I last year.
“We will try to complete through states works on 23 irrigation projects for which we started releasing funds this year. We plan to start some other river-link projects too,” she said.
With several states fighting over sharing of river waters including that of Cauvery (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) and Krishna (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), the ministry also donned role of a mediator in 2016 on instructions of the Supreme Court.
Bharti also had to play peacemaker between Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments, which are fighting over sharing Mahanadi river water.
2016 also saw Central Water Commission teams fanning out to parts of the country after nearly two-third of the swathes fell dry due to drought so as to suggest ways to tackle scarcity – notwithstanding water being a State Subject. (AGENCIES)
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