Did they give us water? Omar Abdullah rejects canal idea to divert water to Punjab
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had a no-holds-barred approach when asked about a canal that India is reportedly building for diverting excess water from three western rivers of the Indus system in the Union Territory to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan."Why should I send water to Punjab?" he told reporters on Friday, in a fiery tone that showed the J&K Chief Minister hasn't forgotten the years-long dispute between the two regions.advertisement"I will never permit this. Let us use our water for ourselves first... There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. Why should I send water to Punjab? Punjab already had water under the Indus Water Treaty. Did they give us water when we needed it?" he added.
In his statement, Abdullah invoked the 45-year-old dispute between the Punjab and J&K governments over the construction of the Shahpur Kandi barrage in Pathankot. Signed in 1979, the agreement between the two regions saw fruition only in 2018 after the Centre's mediation. The barrage is meant to stop the flow of water from River Ravi to Pakistan."Kitne saal unhone humein rulaya. (They made us cry for so many years)," Omar Abdullah told reporters on Friday.The 55-year-old Chief Minister made his stance clear on the proposed 113-km-long canal, saying "for now the water is for us". "We will use the water first, and then we will think about others," Abdullah said.advertisementIn May, media reports said that the Indian government had decided to divert water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty for use in the northern states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana. The Jal Shakti Ministry is working on infrastructure development on a war-footing to implement the decision, news agency ANI reported.The ministry's aim is to ensure not a single drop of water meant for Pakistan goes to waste. The report surfaced last month, soon after India launched Operation Sindoor and officially suspended its adherence to the Indus Waters Treaty. Signed in 1960, the treaty governs the distribution of waters of six rivers - Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, Indus, Chenab and Sutlej - between India and Pakistan.India's Indus treaty suspension and Operation Sindoor were in retaliation for the April 22 massacre in J&K's Pahalgam, where Pakistan-backed terrorists gunned down 22 people, mostly tourists.Must Watch
IN THIS STORY#Omar Abdullah#Jammu and Kashmir#Punjab#Pakistan#India-Pakistan
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