Drawback of River Indus

[Hindustani78]

NITI Aayog
23-August, 2018 16:05 IST
NITI Aayog launches 5 Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region

Recognizing the uniqueness of the Himalayas and the challenges for sustainable development, NITI Aayog had set up 5 Working Groups (WGs) in June 2017 to prepare a roadmap for actions in 5 thematic areas. The themes include: Inventory and Revival of Springs in Himalayas for Water Security, Sustainable Tourism in Indian Himalayan Region, Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation, Strengthening Skill & Entrepreneurship Landscape in Himalayas and Data/Information for Informed Decision Making. While these thematic areas are quite significant for the Himalayas. Mountain specificities require specific solutions for resilience building that address socio-economic and environmental challenges in the mountain setting. The reports from the five working groups discuss the significance, the challenges, the ongoing actions and a future roadmap.

The reports lists challenges in all 5 thematic areas. Nearly 30% of springs crucial to water security of people are drying and 50% have reported reduced discharge. Himalayan Tourism growing annually at 6.8% has crated huge challenge related to solid waste, water, traffic, loss of bio-cultural diversity etc.With the projected arrival of tourists in IHR States to more than double by 2025, urgent actions will be needed to address critical issues of waste management and water crisis in addition to other environmental and social issues. In the north eastern States, thousands of the households continue to practice slash and burn (shifting cultivation) that need to be addressed in view of ecological, food and nutritional security. Predominantly unskilled workforce remains a challenge for the mountains as well that need high priority to address migration of youths. Also challenges related to data availability, data authenticity, compatibility, data quality, validation, user charges for Himalayan States need addressal for informed decision making at different levels of governance.

The key messages from reports include: Spring Mapping and Revival, using 8 steps protocol be taken up across Himalayan States in phased manner.Apply carrying capacity concept to all major tourist destinations; implement and monitor tourism sector Standards and apply performance based incentives for States faring well on the standards. Assessment of nature & extent of Shifting Cultivation area, improved policy coherence, strengthened tenurial security & improved access to related programs/schemes are key recommendations to transform shifting cultivation. Strengthening of skill & entrepreneurship will require focus on identified priority sectors where mountains have advantage, investment in trainers, assessors and training centers in industry partnership. Having a Central Data Management Agency for Himalayas to provide data with high fidelity scenario while addressing data sharing, access, authenticity and comparability issues will go a long way in addressing data related issues.

The call for actions include setting up of a Himalayan Authority for coordinated and holistic development of entire Himalayan region and launchingof “Himalaya Calling”: An Awareness to Action Campaign as people’smovement. The call for actions also includes suggestions for setting up of Mission on Spring Water Management in Himalayas, National Mission/Program on Transforming Shifting Cultivation in North Eastern States, demand driven network of skill and entrepreneurship development Centers in Himalayan States, consortium of institutions of high learning for mountain specific research and technology, link with Hindukush Himalaya Monitoring and Assessment program (HIMAP) and Setting up Central Data Management Agency for Himalayan Database at GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development.



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[Hindustani78]

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...reaty-in-lahore-this-week/article24790303.ece

Pakistan is to raise concerns over 1000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the Chenab river.

India and Pakistan will resume their talks on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore on Wednesday, the first bilateral engagement since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office.

India’s Indus Water Commissioner P.K. Saxena is expected to reach here on Monday to begin the two-day discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Syed Mehr Ali Shah on Wednesday, Dawn quoted a government official as saying.

The last meeting of the Pakistan-India Permanent Indus Commission was held in New Delhi in March during which both the sides had shared details of the water flow and the quantum of water being used under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

Water-sharing concerns

The Pakistani side will reiterate its objections over two water storage and hydropower projects being built by India, during the two-day talks scheduled for August 29-30.

The official said Pakistan would raise its concerns over 1000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the Chenab river.

The official said that the two sides would also finalise the schedule of future meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission and visits of the teams of the Indus commissioners.

He said that the water commissioners of Pakistan and India were required to meet twice a year and arrange technical visits to projects’ sites and critical river head works, but Pakistan had been facing a lot of problems in timely meetings and visits.

The two-day session is also expected to discuss ways and means for timely and smooth sharing of hydrological data on shared rivers.

First official engagement for Imran Khan

The talks will be the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since Mr. Khan became prime minister on August 18.

In a letter to Mr. Khan on the day he was sworn in as Pakistan’s 22nd prime minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s resolve to build good neighbourly relations between the two countries.

On July 30, Mr. Modi telephoned Mr. Khan to congratulate him on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party’s victory in the general elections and expressed hope that both countries will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties.

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s president Ayub Khan, administers how the water of the Indus river and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilised.

Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — had been allocated to India and the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to Pakistan, except for certain non-consumptive uses for India.

 

[Hindustani78]

NEW DELHI, August 31, 2018 22:24 IST
Updated: August 31, 2018 22:24 IST
https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...sites-in-jk/article24835162.ece?homepage=true

‘Invite as per the provisions of the Indus treaty’

The 1960 Treaty was signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan, administers how the waters of the Indus and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilised.

Under the provisions of the Treaty, waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — had been allocated to India and the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to Pakistan, except for certain non-consumptive uses for India.

India has invited Pakistan to visit sites of the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnal hydroelectric projects on the Chenab.

115th meeting of the India-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Lahore from August 29-30. The Indian delegation was led by P.K. Saxena, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters. He wasn’t immediately available for comment.

“Yes we have asked them to visit. But this according to existing provisions of the treaty,” U.P. Singh, Secretary, Union Water Resources Ministry, told The Hindu.

As per the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, technical discussions were held on implementation of various hydroelectric projects including Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Both the countries agreed to undertake the Treaty-mandated tours of both the Indus Commissioners in the Indus basin on both sides. Deliberations were also held on further strengthening the role of the Permanent Indus Commission for matters under the Treaty,” said a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs. Though a routine affair, the talks in Lahore were the first bilateral engagement between India and Pakistan since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office. The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission was held in New Delhi in March.