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Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
India slams Pakistan at UN meet, says latter violated Indus Waters Treaty by backing terrorism
On Saturday, India slammed Pakistan for making 'unwarranted references' a day after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on a global platform. India emphasised that Pakistan should stop blaming it for violations of the treaty, highlighting that ongoing cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan is obstructing its proper implementation. The confrontation took place at the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, where Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh accused Pakistan of misusing the scientific forum to bring up issues outside its intended scope. 'India strongly objects and condemns Pakistan's attempt to use the International Glacier Conference to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum,' HT quoted Singh as saying during his address at the plenary session. The diplomatic row follows India's decision on April 23 to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Singh mentioned that significant changes since the treaty's inception ,such as technological progress, demographic shifts, climate change, and ongoing cross-border terrorism, warrant a reassessment of its obligations. 'The treaty's preamble says it is concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with our ability to implement the treaty as per its provisions,' Singh added, noting that Pakistan itself violates the treaty while holding India responsible for breaches. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the initial attack on Friday, stating that Pakistan would not permit India to cross 'red lines' by suspending the treaty and 'endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.' According to Dawn newspaper, Sharif described India's move as 'unilateral and illegal". The dispute has taken on added urgency due to new scientific evidence indicating that climate change is significantly transforming the hydrology of the Indus basin. According to HT on May 3, recent studies reveal that the western tributaries, such as the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum, and Chenab, are sustained by glaciers with considerably more stored water. In contrast, the eastern tributaries, including the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej, allocated to India, may experience reduced flow. Crucially, glacial melt is accelerating more rapidly in the Western Himalayas, which feed the eastern rivers, than in the Upper Indus basin. This east-west imbalance undermines key assumptions of the treaty, which was based on historically stable river flow patterns. Significantly, glacial melt is occurring more rapidly in the Western Himalayas, which supply the eastern rivers, than in the Upper Indus basin. This east-west disparity challenges the fundamental assumptions of the treaty, which was based on historically consistent river flow patterns. The renowned visiting scientist and glaciologist from the Indian Institute of Science Anil Kulkarni, in the May 3 report, said, 'From an entirely scientific perspective, water-sharing practices need revisiting given climate change can alter flow and increase downstream disasters." According to HT, Singh mentioned, 'India has strengthened disaster preparedness in the Himalayan region through improved early warning systems and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk mapping, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Regional cooperation was underscored as vital for strengthening resilience, improving data-sharing frameworks, and fostering coordinated responses to the challenges facing mountain ecosystems."
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
At UN meet, India counters Pak over references to Indus treaty
New Delhi: India sharply criticised Pakistan on Saturday for attempting to inject 'unwarranted references' into the International Glacier Conference in Tajikistan, marking the first time the two nations have publicly clashed over the Indus Water Treaty at an international forum over the issue. The confrontation unfolded at the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, where minister of state for environment Kirti Vardhan Singh accused Pakistan of misusing the scientific platform to raise issues beyond its scope. 'India strongly objects and condemns Pakistan's attempt to use the International Glacier Conference to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum,' Singh said during his address at the plenary session. The diplomatic spat comes after India decided on April 23 to keep the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. Singh argued that fundamental changes since the treaty's execution—including technological advancement, demographic shifts, climate change, and persistent cross-border terrorism—necessitate reassessment of obligations. 'The treaty's preamble says it is concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with our ability to implement the treaty as per its provisions,' Singh said, adding that Pakistan itself violates the treaty while blaming India for breaches. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had fired the opening salvo on Friday, declaring his country would not allow India to cross 'red lines' by holding the treaty in abeyance and 'endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.' Dawn newspaper quoted Sharif calling India's decision 'unilateral and illegal.' The dispute gains urgency from emerging scientific evidence that climate change is fundamentally altering the Indus basin's hydrology. HT had reported on May 3 that recent research shows western tributaries like the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab are fed by glaciers with substantially more stored water than eastern tributaries including the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej — that are in India's share – could have their flow diminished. Crucially, glacial melt accelerates faster in the Western Himalayas that feed eastern rivers compared to the Upper Indus basin. This east-west disparity challenges core assumptions of the treaty, which allocated rivers based on historically stable flow patterns. 'From an entirely scientific perspective, water-sharing practices need revisiting given climate change can alter flow and increase downstream disasters,' said Anil Kulkarni, distinguished visiting scientist and glaciologist from the Indian Institute of Science said in the May 3 report. Singh, in his remarks at the UN event, emphasised that glacial retreat represents an immediate reality with far-reaching implications for water security, biodiversity and billions of livelihoods. The Himalayan glaciers feed critical rivers including the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus. India is responding through strategic initiatives under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, a key component of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, Singh said. The country has established a Centre for Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies to advance glacial research and monitoring. The Indian Space Research Organisation leads systematic monitoring using advanced remote sensing and Geographic Information System technologies. Research efforts coordinate across national institutions including the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, National Institute of Hydrology, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, the minister explained. 'India has strengthened disaster preparedness in the Himalayan region through improved early warning systems and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk mapping, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Regional cooperation was underscored as vital for strengthening resilience, improving data-sharing frameworks, and fostering coordinated responses to the challenges facing mountain ecosystems,' Singh informed. Singh stressed India's commitment to the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC) in international climate action, noting that while South Asia contributes minimally to global cumulative emissions, it remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan violated Indus Water Treaty: India at Glacier Conference in Tajikistan
New Delhi: India strongly objects and condemns Pakistan's attempt to use the International Glacier Conference in Tajikistan 'to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum,' said Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state for environment, forest and climate change during his address at the Plenary Session of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Saturday. This is the first time India and Pakistan exchanged their views on the Indus Water Treaty at an international forum after India on April 23 decided to keep the treaty in abeyance following a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. 'These Himalayan glaciers feed our critical rivers - such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus. It is undeniable fact that there have been fundamental changes in the circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was executed and that requires a reassessment of the obligations under the Treaty,' Singh said while adding that the changes include technological advancement, demographic changes, climate change, and the threat of persistent cross border terrorism. 'The treaty in its preamble says that it is concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. The obligation to honour the treaty in the good faith is fundamental to it. However, the unrelenting cross border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India,' Singh said during his address. At the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said his country would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. 'India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable,' Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Sharif as saying. HT had reported on May 3 that the Indus river basin, among the most vulnerable regions globally to climate change, is experiencing dramatically different impacts across its eastern and western tributaries, recent scientific research has shown, potentially making previous agreements on sharing of waters between India and Pakistan irrelevant. Recent papers have now found that western tributaries like the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab are fed by glaciers with more stored water, while eastern tributaries including the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej draw from significantly lower glacier stored water reserves. Crucially, the pace of glacial melt is higher in the Western Himalayas that feed eastern rivers compared to the Upper Indus basin. This east-west disparity challenges the fundamental assumptions of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which allocated rivers based on historically stable flow patterns. 'From an entirely scientific perspective, the water sharing practices need to be revisited in view of climate change that can alter flow and increase disasters downstream,' Anil Kulkarni, distinguished visiting scientist and glaciologist from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had said. India also emphasised that retreat of glaciers is not only a warning but an immediate reality with far-reaching implications for water security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of billions of people. Kirti Vardhan Singh addressed the Plenary Session of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Saturday. Highlighting the global and regional consequences of glacial retreat, the minister underscored that the phenomenon is accelerating, with disproportionate impacts on mountain regions such as the Himalayas. He reiterated India's deep-rooted concern, as a country intrinsically connected to the Himalayan ecosystem, and outlined a series of ongoing initiatives aimed at glacial monitoring and climate adaptation, a statement from the environment ministry said. Singh highlighted that India is undertaking strategic actions under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) - a key component of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) - as well as the establishment of a Centre for Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies, designed to advance research and monitoring of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Indian Himalayan Region. 'India is leveraging advanced Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to systematically monitor changes in glacier mass, extent, and dynamics. These efforts are further strengthened through coordinated research by key national institutions, including the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE),' Singh said. These initiatives are crucial to advancing scientific understanding of glacier systems and supporting data-driven policy formulation for the sustainable management of India's water resources, he added. 'India has strengthened disaster preparedness in the Himalayan region through improved early warning systems and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk mapping, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Regional cooperation was underscored as vital for strengthening resilience, improving data-sharing frameworks, and fostering coordinated responses to the challenges facing mountain ecosystems,' Singh informed. Singh stressed India's commitment to equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC) in international climate action. He emphasised that while South Asia contributes minimally to global cumulative emissions, it remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
