AJK may not allow WAPDA to fill Mangla Dam
AJK may not allow WAPDA to fill Mangla Dam
Provinces oppose allocating water to dam affectees; AJK PM says we are not asking for water from Arabian Sea"
MIRPUR (AJK):
The Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has decided not to allow Water and Power Development Authority to fill Mangla Dam up to its new capacity until the issues related to the relocation of affected persons and allocation of water are not resolved
Government of Pakistans reluctance to allocate 614 cusecs of water from Mangla Dam to the AJK may put off raising the water level in the dam next summer causing annual loss of Rs18 billion to WAPDA..
The delay in rehabilitation of persons affected by the Mangla Dam raising project is already increasing mistrust between the affectees and Government of Pakistan.
The Government of Pakistan is dilly-dallying on the allocation of drinking and irrigation water for areas developed for the people evicted from their ancestral homes to accommodate the increase in Mangla Dam capacity not for the AJK but for enhancing water and power supply to Pakistan.
As such, the provincial governments of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP opposed the demand for water for the dam affectees.
The Government of AJK in the face of mounting pressure from dam affectees of Mirpur have decided not to allow WAPDA to fill the dam till the resolution of all pending issues including water allocation which may cause losses of billions of rupees to WAPDA. The AJK government is of the view that;
1. They signed an agreement with the Government of Pakistan, but after completion of the dam raising, it is complicating the issue by dragging provinces into this matter,
which is creating mistrust and unrest among people of Mirpur who have rendered tremendous sacrifices twice during the last 38 years.
2. IRSA has no jurisdiction over AJK and therefore cannot decide their water rights.
3. The opposition of Sindh and Balochistan is a great surprise to the AJK. Prime Minister of AJK has said, water is not coming from the Arabian Sea and flowing towards AJK whereby we needed permission from Sindh and Balochistan to use this water, rather it is the other way round and the AJK being upper riparian has prior rights under all international water conventions and laws to make judicious use of this water within their own territory.
4. The growing mistrust in the AJK may hamper the efforts of Pakistan to bring cheaper energy to its national grid under the prevailing energy crisis through hydroelectric projects underway in the AJK including 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum followed by 1,100 MW Kohala, 700 MW Mahel, 800 MW Karot, 600 MW Azad Pattan, 180 MW Gulpur and 135 MW Kotli along with so many other medium-sized hydroelectric projects under different phases in the AJK.
The growing mistrust for a meagre quantity of 613 cusecs of water needs to be addressed immediately so that further mega projects could be built to bring Pakistan out of the present energy crisis and ensure further water storage to take the country out of extreme shortage.
Relocating thousands of people who were evicted from their ancestral homes after their areas were earmarked to come under new boundaries of the Mangla Dam reservoir has become a serious issue.
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari cancelled his visit to Mirpur in January to inaugurate recently completed Mangla Dam Raising Project by WAPDA to avoid public pressure on rehabilitation issues.
The Mangla Dam was initially constructed in 1967. More than 300,000 people from Mirpur were forced to give up their land, properties and graveyards of their ancestors to keep Pakistan green and illuminated. The Kashmiris claim it a glaring example of sacrifice for a greater national cause.
The affectees were relocated in New Mirpur town and they were promised water for drinking and irrigation, although this right was already accepted in 1904 under the Darbar Agreement between Darbar of Maharajas Government of Jammu & Kashmir and the Government of Punjab.
For more than 100 years, the people of Mirpur were denied this right in complete disregard to all agreements, promises and sacrifices.
In 2002, the Pakistani government decided to raise Mangla Dam to increase water storage capacity and generate additional electricity. The project required displacement of another 80,000 people from Mirpur.
An agreement to this effect was signed between Pakistan and the AJK in 2003, under which GOP yet again promised drinking and irrigation water for twice affectees of Mangla Dam and to irrigate their small land located in the downstream of Mangla Dam in Mirpur and Bhimber.
A technical committee headed by NESPAK Consultant and comprising of Ministry of KA&NA, Water and Power and representatives from Govt. of AJ&K was set up to assess AJK water which came up with unanimous recommendations for 613.6 Cusecs from Mangla dam and Upper Jehlum Canal (UJC).
The report of the Committee was forwarded to IRSA who conveyed their decision that AJ&K not being a part of IRSA cannot be accommodated for any water allocation under Water Apportioned Accord 1991.
Thereafter, the case was submitted to the Prime Minister for issuance of executive Order but the PM referred the matter to Inter Provincial Coordination Ministry. Subsequently in the IPC meeting in February 2009 governments of Sindh,
Balochistan and NWFP opposed allocation of water to AJ&K under Mangla Dam raising agreement. Only Punjab supported water rights of AJK. The matter was once again referred to the prime Minister. This time round, the Cabinet Division opposed allocation of Water to AJ&K and advised PM to refer this matter to the provinces for their consent.