Jal Shakti Minister Paatil reaffirms position on IWT, revival of Tulbul project

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4 hours ago

The Modi government put the IWT in abeyance as part of a diplomatic response to the 22 April terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam which left 26 dead. The government had said the treaty will be in abeyance until Pakistan gives credible proof that it is renouncing support for cross-border terrorism.
'The decision that the Indian government has taken, our prime minister has taken to put the IWT in abeyance continues… It is in the interest of the country. Any action that is taken will be in the interest of everyone and for the benefit of the country,' Paatil told a press conference here.
New Delhi: There is no change in India's position of keeping the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance and any further decision taken on it will be in India's interest, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil said Thursday. He also asserted the Tulbul navigation project on Kashmir's Wular Lake will be revived.
The World Bank-brokered 1960 treaty between India and Pakistan allows India unrestricted rights over waters of the three eastern rivers on the Indus basin—Ravi, Beas and Sutlej—which account for approximately 20 percent of the water carried by the Indus system.
Pakistan is allowed unrestricted use of waters of the three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab—which is roughly 80 percent of the water carried by the Indus system.
Asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in an interview to Times of India that IWT will not be restored, Paatil said, 'Amit Shahji bade neta hain, nirnayak bhi hain…unhone jo kaha hai, theek hi hoga (Amit Shahji is a big leader, he is decisive also…whatever he has said should be correct)'.
On Pakistan writing to India to renegotiate the IWT, Paatil said, 'Pakistan writing to us is not new… these things go on. But no action has been taken on it so far.'
Responding to former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto's statement Islamabad would not hesitate to respond if its water rights were violated, Paatil said, 'Bilawal Bhutto has said many things, but we are not afraid of his comments. Hum gidar bhabhkiyon se nahin darte (We are not scared by blusters).'
Also Read: With Indus Waters Treaty on hold, India working to revive Tulbul project on Kashmir's Wular Lake
'Tulbul project will be revived'
The government is also expediting work on four proposed hydro projects on the western rivers. But Paatil declined to give further details of the projects, saying it's too early for that.
Government sources said the four projects include the 1,856-MW Sawalkot hydroelectric project (Chenab), the 930-MW Kirthai-II hydroelectric power project (Chenab), the 260-MW Dulhasti Stage-II (Chenab) and the 240-MW Uri-I Stage-II (Jhelum).
All of these are in Jammu & Kashmir, and long-term projects.
In the short-term, India has started regular flushing (a sediment removal method) of its existing reservoirs on the western rivers to remove silt and sediment that have deposited in them.
The IWT allows flushing of reservoirs in August during monsoon. In the absence of regular flushing, silt and sediments get deposited in the reservoirs over a period of time and render them ineffective in the long run.
Paatil, however, confirmed that the government has decided to revive the Tulbul navigation project. 'We will study the Detailed Project Report for Tulbul before deciding,' the minister said.
The project, which envisages constructing a 439-ft long and 40-ft wide barrage with a storage capacity of 0.30 million acre feet below the Wular Lake near Ningli to stabilise Jhelum's water level, was abandoned midway in 1987 after strong objections from Pakistan. Civil works, including concrete piling and foundation works on the left bank were already completed by then.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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