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Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India's IWT abeyance action a move aimed at destroying Pakistan's agriculture, Senate body told
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday that India's action to place Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960 in abeyance is absolutely unacceptable as it is an act of war and an effort to destroy Pakistan's agriculture. This was stated by Minister for Water Resources Moeen Wattoo during a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources, presided over by the newly appointed Chairman Ahmad Atteeq Anwar. 'India's move is an attack on Pakistan's sovereignty. We will go to every extent to protect our existence,' he added. Secretary Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza informed the Committee that India has continuously violated the Indus Waters Treaty and is involved in tampering with water, adding that India also attacked Neelum-Jhelum Dam. India has been informed that it cannot unilaterally suspend the treaty.' World Bank rebukes India over IWT, warns against unilateral moves Neither there is any provision to put the Treaty in abeyance nor suspension, Treaty is invoked and if India does any violation, Pakistan will approach the appropriate forum for remedy. India is not talking with Pakistan under IWT for the last two years despite Pakistan's repeated requests, he added. The Committee was briefed that the office of Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters deals with the implementation of the IWT 1960 signed with India on the sharing of the waters of Indus system on rivers. Under the provisions of the Treaty, the waters from three Eastern Rivers ( Ravi, Suutluj, Beas) have been allocated to India for her exclusive use, whereas the waters of three Western Rivers ( Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) have been allocated to Pakistan, however, from the three Western Rivers, India has been allowed to use water: (i) for domestic use; (ii) non-consumptive use; (iii) limited agriculture use (701,000 acres additional area permitted in India and Indian held part of Jammu and Kashmir in the basins of the three Western rivers i.e. Indus, Jhelum and Chenab);(iv) generation of hydroelectric power( the use is permitted subject to observance of design and operational criteria specified by the Treaty ; and (v) storage works (upper limit of storage has been fixed at 3.60 MAF divided among three Wester rivers basins). Secretary Water Resources further stated that Pakistan has now increased monitoring of our rivers. Even if India builds dams, it cannot stop the flow of water. If India tampers with Pakistan's water, it will be considered an act of war, he said adding that on May 2nd and 3rd, there was a sudden rise in the water level of the Chenab River. Diversion of water from Baghliahar dam has also been noticed and this is being raised through proper channel. 'The water increased for 36 hours and then suddenly dropped — we are investigating this. If India is behind this, it would be a violation of the treaty. We are now collecting evidence and will take it to the relevant forum,' Secretary Water Resources maintained. He said that there are three options in case of a violation: going to the court of arbitration, pursuing diplomatic action, and finally, the military option. India cannot divert water outside the basin. 'We will take India's violation to the international level and to arbitration,' said the Secretary of Water Resources. Rai Hassan Nawaz, MNA inquired about the truth behind the allegations against former Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah. The acting Indus Waters Commissioner, Mehar Ali Shah explained that the information in the media regarding Jamaat Ali Shah is not accurate. He stated that an inquiry had been held against the former Indus Waters Commissioner, Jamaat Ali Shah after making him OSD, however, there is no evidence to support the allegations made against him regarding approaching the appropriate forum against one of the Indian projects. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Indus pact on hold, Govt plans monthly flushing of Salal and Baglihar dams
WITH the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance and the government having already carried out the first flushing exercise at Baglihar and Salal — its two run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir — the Central Water Commission (CWC) has now recommended that such flushing become a monthly routine, The Indian Express has learned. As first reported by The Indian Express on May 4, NHPC and the Jammu & Kashmir administration have begun flushing the Salal and Baglihar reservoirs to clear out sediment that hinders power output. This is the first such exercise since Salal was built in 1987 and Baglihar in 2008-09, after Pakistan's repeated objections under the IWT had previously blocked these works. Sources said the flushing that began in early May removed just over 7.5 million cubic metres (MCM) of sediment from the 690 MW Salal and 900 MW Baglihar reservoirs. 'The CWC has now recommended that forced flushing be carried out monthly for both projects, and an SOP (standard operating procedure) will be issued shortly,' a senior official said. Flushing involves releasing stored water to remove sediment build-up — sand, silt and clay — that settles in reservoirs over time. Sediment reduces reservoir capacity and hampers hydropower output. By regularly flushing these particles out, operators restore storage space and improve turbine efficiency, ensuring reliable power generation and prolonging the life of hydroelectric plants. However, Pakistan has routinely objected to this exercise given that flushing, the release of stored water to remove sediment, can temporarily boost downstream flow. And recharge, the reservoir's replenishment by closing of gates, can reduce the volume available for later release. Making flushing a monthly exercise is part of the government's short-term plan to utilise Indus waters after the treaty was placed in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack. As a further short-term measure, India will neither share hydrological data with Pakistan nor inform it of these flushing operations. For the medium and long term, India plans to fast-track hydroelectric projects stalled by Pakistan's objections under the treaty, consider diverting some Indus flows, and explore building new projects, a senior official said. 'For any new project under the treaty, India had to inform Pakistan six months in advance. We are under no such obligation now,' the official added. Among the hydroelectric projects the government will expedite are Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Ratle (850 MW), all on the Chenab River. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan. It has 12 Articles and eight Annexures (A to H). Under its provisions, all the water of the 'Eastern Rivers'—Sutlej, Beas and Ravi—shall be available for the 'unrestricted use' of India; Pakistan shall receive water from the 'Western Rivers'—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. India paused this treaty 'until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.' It formally informed Pakistan of this decision by letter dated April 24; Pakistan recently replied signalling its willingness to discuss Delhi's concerns and suggested a date in May for that discussion. This offer is especially significant because, despite two prior notices—in January 2023 and again in September 2024—requesting a 'review and modification' of the IWT, Pakistan had not previously expressed explicit willingness. It was only after India placed the treaty in abeyance with immediate effect following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that Pakistan signalled its readiness. Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India's largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Tough reply to Pakistan by halting Indus water treaty: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
Pushkar Singh Dhami. NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, action has begun on the historic and stern decisions taken in the CCS ( Cabinet Committee on Security ) meeting against terrorism. As part of this, the Government of India has given a strong reply to Pakistan by halting the Indus Water Treaty . Chief Minister Dhami stated that the bold steps taken under the Prime Minister's leadership not only reinforce India's 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism but also send a clear message to enemies that India is ready to give a befitting reply to every terrorist attack. He said that by suspending the Indus Water Treaty, the central government has made it clear that blood and water cannot flow together. This decisive move will shatter Pakistan's plans that shelter and promote terrorism. Similarly, decisions like closing the Attari border check post have also sent a strong message to Pakistan. The Indus river system consists of the main Indus River and its six major tributaries, with five on the left bank and one on the right bank. This extensive network plays a vital role in water supply for both India and Pakistan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The left bank tributaries include the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers. The Kabul River, the sole right bank tributary, does not flow through Indian territory. The river system is categorized into two groups. The Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej are designated as Eastern rivers, while the Chenab, Jhelum, and main Indus form the Western Rivers. The suspension, however, is unlikely to have an immediate impact as India does not have the infrasructure to stop the flow of water to Pakistan, at least for a few years. Pakistan on Thursday said any move to divert water meant for it under the Indus Water Treaty will be considered an Act of War as it announced the suspension of trade, bilateral accords, including the Simla Agreement, and airspaces with India, among other moves in retaliation to New Delhi's measures against the country in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan Ministers call India's suspension of Indus Waters Treaty 'cowardly', 'immature' & 'inappropriate'
Pakistan's Minister of Power, Awais Leghari, has reacted to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and called the decision 'cowardly.' As per a report by Dawn, Leghari said, India's 'reckless suspension' of the IWT was 'an act of water warfare; a cowardly, illegal move." ALSO READ: India acts tough after Pahalgam attack: Military options on table, diplomacy downgraded 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No Joke: This Is The Actual Cost Of Drafting Your Will Local Will Finder Undo 'Every drop is ours by right, and we will defend it with full force — legally, politically, and globally,' said the Pakistan minister. In addition to this, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar termed India's actions "inappropriate". 'There is no evidence … expressing their anger like this is inappropriate,' he said. Live Events 'We cannot do anything alone. These announcements seem like a knee-jerk reaction and are immature and presumptuous,' he said. ALSO READ: India pulls the plug on Indus Waters Treaty: What it means and how it can hit Pakistan where it hurts most India on Wednesday announced that the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Islamabad credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. The move comes after the killing of 26 people including tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. What could be the impact of this move? The Indus system of rivers comprises the main river -- the Indus -- along with its five left bank tributaries, namely, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej, the Jhelum and the Chenab. The right bank tributary, the Kabul, does not flow through India. The Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej are together called Eastern rivers while the Chenab, the Jhelum and the Indus main are called as Western Rivers. Its waters are critical to both India and Pakistan. Pradeep Kumar Saxena, who served as India's Indus Water Commissioner for over six years and has been associated with work related to the IWT, said India, as an upper riparian country, has multiple options. "This could be the first step towards the abrogation of the Treaty, if the Government so decides," Saxena told PTI. ALSO READ: Pakistan terror groups have limitless America-made M4 rifles "Although there is no explicit provision in the Treaty for its abrogation, Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on Law of the Treaties provides sufficient room under which the treaty can be repudiated in view of the fundamental change of circumstances which has occurred with regard to those existing at the time of conclusion of the Treaty," he said. Last year, India sent a formal notice to Pakistan, seeking the "review and modification" of the treaty. Listing out the steps India could take, Saxena said in the absence of the treaty, India is under no obligation to follow the restrictions on the "reservoir flushing" of the Kishanganga reservoir and other projects on Western rivers in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indus Water Treaty currently prohibits it. Flushing can help India desilt its reservoir but then filling the entire reservoir could take days. Under the treaty, reservoir filling after the flushing has to be done in August -- peak monsoon period -- but with the pact in abeyance, it could be done anytime. Doing it when sowing season begins in Pakistan could be detrimental especially when a large part of Punjab in Pakistan depends on the Indus and its tributaries for irrigation. According to the treaty, there are design restrictions on building structures like dams on Indus and its tributaries. In the past, Pakistan has raised objections over the designs but in future it will not be obligatory to take the concerns onboard. In the past almost every project has been objected to by Pakistan. Notable are Salal, Baglihar, Uri, Chutak, Nimoo Bazgo, Kishenganga, Pakal Dul, Miyar, Lower Kalnai and Ratle. After the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the government cleared eight more hydropower projects in Ladakh. The objections may no longer be applicable for the new projects. There are also operational restrictions on how reservoirs are to be filled and operated. With the treaty in abeyance, these are no longer applicable. Saxena said India can stop sharing flood data on the rivers. This could also prove detrimental to Pakistan, especially during the monsoon when rivers swell. India will now have no restriction on storage on Western rivers, particularly the Jhelum, and India can take a number of flood control measures to mitigate floods in the Valley, Saxena said. The tours of Pakistan side to India, which are mandatory under the treaty, may now be stopped. At the time of Independence, the boundary line between the two newly created independent countries --- Pakistan and India --- was drawn right across the Indus Basin, leaving Pakistan as the lower riparian and India as the upper riparian. Two important irrigation works, one at Madhopur on Ravi River and the other at Ferozepur on Sutlej River, on which the irrigation canal supplies in Punjab (Pakistan) had been completely dependent, fell in the Indian territory. A dispute thus arose between two countries regarding the utilisation of irrigation water from existing facilities. Negotiations held under the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), culminated in the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960. According to the treaty, all the waters of the Eastern Rivers - Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi with average annual flow of around 33 Million Acre Feet (MAF) is allocated to India for unrestricted use while the waters of Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab with average annual flow of around 135 MAF is allocated largely to Pakistan. However, India is permitted to use the waters of the Western Rivers for domestic use, non-consumptive use, agricultural and generation of hydro-electric power. The right to generate hydroelectricity from Western rivers is unrestricted subject to the conditions for design and operation of the Treaty. India can also create storages upto 3.6 MAF on Western rivers, the pact states.
NDTV
23-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Indus Waters Ex-Commissioner On India's Options After Treaty Suspension
Mumbai: India on Wednesday announced that the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Islamabad credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. The move comes after the killing of 26 people including tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. What could be the impact of this move? The Indus system of rivers comprises the main river -- the Indus -- along with its five left bank tributaries, namely, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej, the Jhelum and the Chenab. The right bank tributary, the Kabul, does not flow through India. The Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej are together called Eastern rivers while the Chenab, the Jhelum and the Indus main are called as Western Rivers. Its waters are critical to both India and Pakistan. Pradeep Kumar Saxena, who served as India's Indus Water Commissioner for over six years and has been associated with work related to the IWT, said India, as an upper riparian country, has multiple options. "This could be the first step towards the abrogation of the Treaty, if the Government so decides," Mr Saxena told PTI. "Although there is no explicit provision in the Treaty for its abrogation, Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on Law of the Treaties provides sufficient room under which the treaty can be repudiated in view of the fundamental change of circumstances which has occurred with regard to those existing at the time of conclusion of the Treaty," he said. Last year, India sent a formal notice to Pakistan, seeking the "review and modification" of the treaty. Listing out the steps India could take, Mr Saxena said in the absence of the treaty, India is under no obligation to follow the restrictions on the "reservoir flushing" of the Kishanganga reservoir and other projects on Western rivers in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indus Water Treaty currently prohibits it. Flushing can help India desilt its reservoir but then filling the entire reservoir could take days. Under the treaty, reservoir filling after the flushing has to be done in August -- peak monsoon period -- but with the pact in abeyance, it could be done anytime. Doing it when sowing season begins in Pakistan could be detrimental especially when a large part of Punjab in Pakistan depends on the Indus and its tributaries for irrigation. According to the treaty, there are design restrictions on building structures like dams on Indus and its tributaries. In the past, Pakistan has raised objections over the designs but in future it will not be obligatory to take the concerns onboard. In the past almost every project has been objected to by Pakistan. Notable are Salal, Baglihar, Uri, Chutak, Nimoo Bazgo, Kishenganga, Pakal Dul, Miyar, Lower Kalnai and Ratle. After the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the government cleared eight more hydropower projects in Ladakh. The objections may no longer be applicable for the new projects. There are also operational restrictions on how reservoirs are to be filled and operated. With the treaty in abeyance, these are no longer applicable. Mr Saxena said India can stop sharing flood data on the rivers. This could also prove detrimental to Pakistan, especially during the monsoon when rivers swell. India will now have no restriction on storage on Western rivers, particularly the Jhelum, and India can take a number of flood control measures to mitigate floods in the Valley, Mr Saxena said. The tours of Pakistan side to India, which are mandatory under the treaty, may now be stopped. At the time of Independence, the boundary line between the two newly created independent countries --- Pakistan and India --- was drawn right across the Indus Basin, leaving Pakistan as the lower riparian and India as the upper riparian. Two important irrigation works, one at Madhopur on Ravi River and the other at Ferozepur on Sutlej River, on which the irrigation canal supplies in Punjab (Pakistan) had been completely dependent, fell in the Indian territory. A dispute thus arose between two countries regarding the utilisation of irrigation water from existing facilities. Negotiations held under the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), culminated in the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960. According to the treaty, all the waters of the Eastern Rivers - Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi with average annual flow of around 33 Million Acre Feet (MAF) is allocated to India for unrestricted use while the waters of Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab with average annual flow of around 135 MAF is allocated largely to Pakistan. However, India is permitted to use the waters of the Western Rivers for domestic use, non-consumptive use, agricultural and generation of hydro-electric power. The right to generate hydroelectricity from Western rivers is unrestricted subject to the conditions for design and operation of the Treaty. India can also create storages upto 3.6 MAF on Western rivers, the pact states.
