India violating IWT by building dams : Water scarcity feared in coming year

[S_O_C_O_M]

India violating IWT by building dams : Water scarcity feared in coming years​

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

India violating IWT by building dams : Water scarcity feared in coming years

By Razi Syed

KARACHI: Indian spree of building dams on water flowing into Pakistan’s territory is expected to create water scarcity in the country, said water experts on Tuesday.

Pakistan is heading towards severe water shortage as Indian government has decided to build more than seven dams on rivers running into Pakistan in held Kashmir.

Pakistan has absolute rights on these rivers, as their flow is towards Pakistan and under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) India is violating the accord, said a senior member of Sindh Agriculture Forum (SAF).

SAF member said Pakistan should raise voice on international forum in order to stop Indian government to build water reservoirs on the rivers running into Pakistan. He said Pakistan remained undecided to appoint patriotic and real water management experts to take up its case before International Court of Arbitration against India over construction of hydropower project in violation of the 1960 IWT. The country is heading towards the worst water shortage in the next couple of years due to insufficient water management practices and storage capacity, he said.

Construction of Nimoo-Bazgo hydropower project since one year, including Baglihar and Kishanganga in violation of the IWT and now it has almost completed one of the highest hydropower projects in the world on River Indus at Ladakh.

Chuttak hydroelectric project on the River Suru a tributary of Indus in the Kargil is also on completion.

These projects would reduce the flow of Indus River, which would badly damage masses, industry and agriculture of Pakistan. Pakistan has right to oppose these dam projects besides opposing Kishanganga project because its diversion will reduce more than 20 percent of the power generation capacity of the 975 megawatts (MW) Neelum-Jhelum power project on the same river downstream Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir.

In recent past due to the poor handling of case with India as well as in International Court of Arbitration, Pakistan could not gain points in favour of its case, only because of a team of jurists, not sincere from the start.

The IWT has now become ineffective as India was continuously violating all clauses of the treaty and Pakistan was not challenging them at any international forum by tacit approbation.

Under the treaty, three western rivers, Chenab, Jehlum and Indus are allocated to Pakistan and India is not allowed to build storages on them.

A report by the Washington DC based Woodrow Wilson Centre said Neelum-Jhelum power project case in International Court of Arbitration, Pakistan would face a loss of energy of more than Rs 6 billion every year.

The IWT with India remained just on papers. India had diverted Pakistani water and constructed more dams, which would further worsen the water situation in Pakistan. The underground water level went down from about 70-100 feet to up to 1,000 feet and has been termed as a worsening situation.

International Water Expert Engr Bashir Malik who has served United Nations and World Bank as chief technical adviser said the cheapest and environment-friendly solution to water and energy crisis in Pakistan was the Kalabagh Dam, which could only be built by a patriotic and brave leader having the courage to break all the barriers in the best national interest.

Malik said Save Water Save Pakistan Forum was initiating a campaign to highlight water and energy crisis and their solution at national level.

Pakistan would likely face severe water shortage if it does not plead judiciously over the controversial 330 megawatts (MW) Kishanganga Hydro Electric Power (KHEP) project in India.

It seemed Indian sponsored some politicians, nationalists, regionalists and pseudo-intellectuals were opposing Kalabagh Dam to make Pakistan a failed state. Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters, Ministry of Water and Power, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained tight lipped on the issue.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[sachin@india]

what pakistan gonna do about it??

 

[Luftwaffe]

Everything is Pakistan's incompetency and corruption, blaming indian won't do any good everytime. When Pakistan had enough Funds it did not develop small-large dams across Pakistan.

 

[ajtr]

Roj lotay politicians ki tarah we get two statements from pakistan...one day it says india stealing water and next day it says india is not stealing water.

 

[dollarman]

Take it to the international courts if you are so sure that you have a case. But guess what, Pakistan will never take it to court. You know why? because you guys dont have a case. And deep down inside, your politicians know that it is not India, but Pakistan's incompetence that sucks at Water Management, but they say the usual stuff like other politicians to not lose votes for their next election :party:

But, you guys will keep blaming the bogey of India to hide your incompetency forever

 

[cricketrulez]

"India violating IWT by building dams"

Do you guys still buys this old wives tale? of all people AJTR posted the where frickin treaty. It does not forbid hydel projects nor does it put any restrictions on the number of hydel projects.

Suck it up and adopt.