Indian Union Minster of Jal Shaki, while addressing a public meeting at Bernoti of district Khatoa, renewed his threat of stopping the downward flow of water in the three westerly rivers allocated to Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960. He had made the same outburst at an election rally in the India’s Punjab May last year when he was holding the portfolio of agriculture minister. Similar incendiary remarks had been once made by the Prime Minister Narendara Modi in election campaign.
Over the past two and half decades, India has been violating the provisions of IWT by completing the construction Kishan Ganga on the River Neelum and starting construction work on two hydroelectric power projects of Pakal Dual and lower Kalnal on the river Chenab. Pakistani water experts were allowed last year to inspect the sites of these two projects but objections on the designs and live storages of these dams are yet to be addressed by India.
Ironically, the World Bank which appoints arbitrators to resolve Pak-India water disputes no longer performs neutral role as it facilitated the completion of construction work of Kisaan Ganga dam by insisting on the appointment of neutral expert rather than deciding for setting up court of arbitration as requested by Pakistan. Indian policy of constructing more and more dams on the rivers allotted to Pakistan serves an eye opener for the leadership of PPP and ANP who are opposing tooth and nail the construction of Kalabagh dam project for water conservation and inexpensive electricity generation to boost both agriculture and industry.
