Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences. Vol.4 No.

INDUS WATER TREATY & EMERGING WATER ISSUES

Nosheen1
Toheeda Begum2
Abstract:
The article introduces the Indus basin irrigation system
in its historic context, and its economic impact on
Pakistans socio- economic development. The article
also brings forth the problems and difficulty that
emerged out of the interpretation and execution of the
treaty with passage of time. The analyses of the data
focuses to provide remedies of the current problem
evolved around the treaty and its implementation.

Water is the greatest gift of nature and United Nations in a report

has warned that that global warming is causing the melting of glaciers.
That will raise the issue of people migration and shortage of water. In
report the most victim countries are Pakistan and India where glaciers are
melting rapidly and these countries are facing the increase in problem of
water shortage day by day. According to report water shortage will
impose a war from strong country to its neighbor, whose result will be
bad.
India having not reconciled with the creation of Pakistan created a
series of problems for Pakistan soon after independence. Indus Water
Treaty for sharing of Indus River system waters was signed between

Research Scholar MPhil Pakistan studies, Department of Pakistan Studies,

ICP

Lecturer Pakistan Studies in Frontier Women University, Peshawar

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India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank in 1960. When the
Treaty was signed, it was hoped that it would put an end to water issue
between India and Pakistan forever. However, today it appears as if the
wish was unfounded. Numerous water issues were created by India
through violations of the treaty since then. All these issues remain
unresolved even today. The core issue behind Pakistans water problem
is the forced annexation of Kashmir by India. United Nations Security
Councils resolution requiring plebiscite in Kashmir has still not been
implemented by India and the status of Kashmir along with control of the
head reaches of Indus River system have still not been determined. It is
feared that the ever increasing violations of Indus Water Treaty by India
are setting stage which may lead to the worlds first water war in Asia,
whose result will be much terrible, as both India and Pakistan are
Nuclear Powers and both have the capability of long range ballistic
missile technology. (Siddiqui, 2010)
In this research report attempt has been made to highlight the water
issue between India and Pakistan, Indus Water Treaty and violation of
this treaty by India.
Background of the Water Issue: Indus river water system has been
used for irrigation purposes in Indus Basin since the beginning of the
civilization. In old days availability of river water was more than the
requirements, principally because the population was small and demands
were less as compared to the availability of water in the rivers. When the
demand grew, substantially disputes started between various water users.
Since middle of the 19th century, disputes were mostly between upper
and lower riparian. During British India, Sindh which became a separate
province, was a lower riparian, objected to Punjab, an upper riparian

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water projects. Sindh feared that the use of water by Punjab would
establish Punjabs water rights over Indus river water and may encroach
upon Sindhs share of water. At those times these disputes were of
domestic nature as they were between provinces of the same country, the
British India.
However, the nature of these disputes changed after the creation of
Pakistan. These disputes which were domestic disputes became
international disputes between India and Pakistan by virtue of creation of
the two independent countries because in the partition of Punjab,
Radcliffe drew the partition line right across the Punjab province giving
most

of

the

water

rich

reaches

of

Indus

Basin

rivers

to

India.(siddiqui,2010).
On 1st April 1948, less than a year after the partition of the
subcontinent and the creation of the separate states of India and Pakistan,
Delhi stopped the flow of water from the canals on its side. India
discontinued the delivery of water from the Ferozepur headworks to
Dipalpur Canal and to main branches of the Upper Bari Doab Canal and
denying water to some 5.5% of the sown area and almost 8% of the
cultivated area. This act was criticized by Pakistan and Pakistan sent its
delegation to New Delhi for negotiations on water supply. On 4th May
1948, India agreed to the Inter-Dominion Agreement with Pakistani
1948, India agreed to the Inter-Dominion Agreement with Pakistan,
which allowed for the continuation of water supplies for irrigation
purposes until the Pakistani side managed to develop alternative water
resources. Sometime after this, then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru invited American expert David Lilenthal to survey the situation,
but his observations, which bolstered Pakistans arguments, failed to earn

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recognition from Delhi. Later, the World Bank sponsored several rounds
of talks in Washington from 1952 to 1960, eventually resulting in the
signing of the Indus Water Treaty.(Gulhati,73). In 1951,when Lilienthal
visited the region to write articles for Colliers magazine, he had a great
interest in the subcontinent and was warmly welcomed by both India and
Pakistan. He was also briefed by the US officials, to help bridge the gap
between the USA and India. During his visit, it became clear to
Lilienthal that tensions between India and Pakistan were acute, but also
unable to be erased with one sweeping gesture. In his one article he
wrote:India and Pakistan were on the verge of war over Kashmir. There
seemed to be no possibility of negotiating this issue until tensions abated.
One way to reduce hostility. Would be to concentrate on other
important issues where cooperation was possible. Progress in these areas
would promote a sence of community between the two nations, which
might, in time, lead to a Kashmir settlement. Accordingly, I proposed
that India and Pakistan would work out a program jointly to develop and
jointly to operate the Indus Basin river system, upon which both nations
were dependent for irrigation water. With new dams and irrigation
canals, the Indus and its tributaries could be made to yield the additional
water each country needed for increased food production. In the article, I
had suggested that the World Bank might use its good offices to bring
the parties to agreement, and help in the financing of an Indus
Development program. (Gulhsti, 1973)
The plan Lilienthal was appreciated by the World Bank and US
government. The head of th World Bank, Eugene R. Black informed
Lilienthal that his proposal makes good since all round, the Bank was

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also interested in the economic development and progress of the

subcontinent and wanted to solve the water dispute between the two
countries which was the main hurdle in the progress of the region. Mr.
Black differentiated between the political and functional aspects of the
water dispute. In correspondence with the leaders of both countries he
stressed that the water issue could be solved if the functional aspects of
disagreement were negotiated apart from political aspects. He formed a
group that handles the ways through which best to utilize the waters of
the Indus Basin, leaving aside questions of historic rights of allocation.
Protected talks were held aimed mounting tensions and finally the
Indus Water Treaty was signed by the Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime
Minister of India and Field Marshal Ayub Khan, the President of
Pakistan and W.A.B.Illif, the President of World Bank, in Karachi in
September 1960. This treaty provided for one of the most comprehensive
dispute resolution
Mechanisms (Sridhar,2008). Under the Indus Water Treaty, India
is not permitted to build dams for the purpose of water storage on the
Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers, but it is allowed to make limited use of
their water, including developing run of the river hydroelectric power
projects.
In 1970s, India started the construction of Sallal hydro project on
river Chenab River and information about this project was provided to
Pakistan in 1974. Pakistan objected to design, which had six low-level
outlets and over all height of spillways gates of 40 feet, in clear violation
of the treaty. After a series of meetings, the issue got resolved through
agreement between the two governments in April, 1978.(Ahmed, 2012).

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The alarm bells again rang in 1984, when India announced plans to
build the barrage on the Jhelum River at the mouth of Wullar Lake, the
largest fresh water lake, near the town of So pure in the disputed
Kashmir Valley. India called it Tubule Navigation Project, while
Pakistan referred to it as the Wullar Barrage, owing to Pakistani protests;
India has stopped construction work on the project. Then in 1992,
Pakistan first learned of plans for another controversial water reservoir,
the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River, which was also allotted to
Pakistan by the 1960 treaty. Indian government violating the Indus Water
Treaty for many years and over the years, India has planned construction
of over a hundred large and small dams and reservoirs on the western
rivers. The sharing of the Indus River system is significant for IndiaPakistan relations and disputes over this issue could further complicate
tension between the two countries.
INDUS WATER TREATY (IWT) 1960
The Indus River rises in the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake
Mansarovar. It flows in Tibet for about 200 miles before it enters Ladakh
(part of disputed Kashmir and then flows on towards Gilgit in Pakistan.
Flowing through the north in a southerly direction along the entire length
of Pakistan, it falls into the Arabian Sea near Pakistans port city of
Karachi with a total length of 3200 km, the rivers estimated annual flow
is approximately 207 billion m3. Its five major tributaries are the Jhelum,
Chenab, Ravi, Bias and Sutlej (also having origion in Tibetan plateau),
another two tributaries of the Indus are River Kabul and River Kurram,
rise in Afghanistan. Most of the Indus basin lies in Pakistan and
India.(Akhtar, 2010)

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The Indus Water Treaty is a water sharing treaty between Pakistan

and India, brokered by the World Bank. The treaty was signed in Karachi
on September19, 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and
President of Pakistan Ayub Khan. The Indus Water Treaty governs trans
boundary water rights and obligations of India and Pakistan in relation to
each other. It assigned full use of water of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab
rivers to Pakistan, with minor exception, for existing uses in Kashmir,
this gave Pakistan 75% of the water of the Indus Basin system and
allowed India under carefully specified conditions to tap the considerable
hydropower potenial of the three Western rivers before they entered
Pakistan while Ravi, Sutlej and Bias to India.(Tariq,2010).
Composition of the Indus Water Treaty:
The Indus Water Treaty consists of three parts; the preamble,
twelve articles and annexure A to H. The principal subjects covered in
the treatys annexure are: the exchange of notes between the
governments of India and Pakistan, Indias agricultural use of certain
tributries of the Ravi, Indias agricultural use of the upper reaches of the
western rivers, India generation of hydroelectric power and the storage of
water from the western rivers, a procedure to solve disputes and
differences through a commission, a neutral court of arbitration, and
allocation to Pakistan of some waters from eastern rivers during the
period of transition.
PRINCIPLES OF WATER SHARING:
Before the IWT, Pakistan emphasized historical uses while India as
an upper riparian claimed absolute rights on the Indus Basin system. The
treaty tried to find a solution that was not driven by legal principles, but

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instead by principles of water engineering and economics. There were

conflicting principles put on the table, India invoking the principle of
equitable utilization, the favorite of International Law Association, while
Pakistan stressing no appreciable harm the favorite of International
Law Commission. The Treaty instead of dividing the water of rivers,
divided the six rivers comprising the Indus Water system between India
and Pakistan, which gave them independent control and regulation of
supplies within their own territories. However each country was allowed
certain uses in the rivers allocated to other, subject to certain
qualifications contained in separate annexures in Treaty. Under the
Treaty:

All the waters of the Eastern Rivers shall be available for the
unrestricted use of India (Article 2). Pakistan was permitted by
way of exception to take water for domestic use, non-consumptive
use and certain limited agricultural use.

Pakistan shall receive unrestricted use of all water of Western

Rivers which India is under obligation to flow,(Article 3(1) ) and
shall not permit any interference with these water except for the
domestic,

non-consumptive,

agriculture,

generation

of

hydroelectric power and storage works.(Akhtar,2010).

PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATION
The Treaty lays down principles of cooperation in Article 6&7
which relate to exchange of data and future cooperation. This is intended
to ensure optimum development of the rivers and cooperation and
collaboration between the two countries. The data regarding the daily

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flow in and utilization of the water of the rivers is to be exchanged

regularly. This includes,

Daily gauge and discharge data relating to flow of the rivers at all
observation sites.

Daily extraction for or releases from reservoirs.

Daily withdrawals at the heads of all canals operated by

government or any other agency, including link canals.

Daily escapages from all canals, including link canals.

Daily deliveries from link canals.

This data is to be transmitted on monthly basis by each party to the

other. (Akhtar, 2010)

ADVANTAGES OF TREATY

The Indus Water Treaty was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960
had some advantages for example,

With this treaty both countries became able to operate water

supplies of rivers of their own shares.

The treaty made the system more reliable under seasonal

variations.

This treaty provided opportunity to both countries for use of water.

This treaty also reduced the tension between the two countries.

Due to this treaty a permanent Indus Commission was set up to

adjudicate any dispute in future.

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DEMERITS OF THE TREATY

Besides the advantages there were some drawbacks of the Indus

Water Treaty, which are;

From Pakistans perspective, allocation of only 75% of water as

against 90% of irrigated land violated the principle of appreciable
harm. From India point of view, allocation of 75% of water to
Pakistan violated the principle of equitable utilization.

Pakistan had to forego the entire perpetual flow of fresh waters of

eastern rivers(24 MAF), which its historically used to receive for
irrigation.

Due to loss of regular flow in eastern rivers, silting has occurred in

the channels and subsequent floods cause greater destruction in
Pakistan, in addition to other environmental effects.

The traditional flood irrigation, the most ancient way of using

rivers waters, on Sutlaj, Bias and to some extent on Ravi
disappeared. As a result, no cultivation was possible in the flood
plains of these rivers, thus rendering a large extent of area barren.

Storages are not substitutes of perpetual flow water as the storages

have limited life. Pakistan is already feeling the effect of silting up
of its major reservoirs.(Ahmed, 2012).

VIOLATIONS OF INDUS WATER TREATY BY INDIA:

Controversial Hydro projects: For almost two decades (1960s1970s), the Indus Water Treaty was followed by either side in its true
form and spirit. Starting from the decade of 1980s, India started creating
problems for Pakistan on the water sector on one or the other pretext.

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Since signing the treaty, India has violated it many times. Pakistan had
been accommodating these for quite some time. Pakistan protested and
even asked for the arbitration from the World Bank, but no worthwhile
results could be achieved.(Khan,2011). The major Indian projects that
have become controversial from time to time and involved issues around
the compliance of Indus Water treaty include Salal, Wullar
Barrage/Tulbul Navigation project, Baglihar, Kishanganga, Dul Hasti,
Uri II and Nimoo Bazgo and many more.
1.

Salal Hydroelectric Project

This hydroelectric project is situated on River Chenab in occupied

Kashmir. Salal was the first Indian project that became controversial
between Pakistan and India. The construction of the dam was decided in
1970. India provided information about the project in 1974, Pakistan
objected to the design and storage capacity of dam. In 1976, both
countries entered into a series of talks to resolve the issue. Pakistan
contended that the dam would enable India either to interrupt the flow of
the water or to flood to western Punjab. There were two rounds of
intensive talks in 1976, India provided details of the project and showed
flexibility by agreeing to alter the design of the dam to remove Pakistans
objection. On April14, 1978 India and Pakistan entered into a treaty on
the Salal hydroelectric project and this was the first major dispute which
was successfully resolved bilaterally under this treaty.(Siddiqui, 2010).
2.

Wullar Barrage Project

The Wullar Barrage, which Indian refers to as Tulbul Navigation

project, was the second Indian project that became controversial and still
remains unresolved. The proposed barrage is located on the Jhelum in

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occupied Kashmir. India wants to build the barrage on the mouth of

Wullar lake which is the largest fresh water lake in occupied Kashmir.
India did not provide information on the project in time and started
construction on the project in 1984, Pakistan learnt about the project in
1985 and raised objection and requested India to stop work on
it.(Akhtar,2010).
Under the provisions of Indus Water Treaty 1960, the water of
three western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab have been allocated to
Pakistan for unrestricted use except for certain uses by India in the areas
located in the Indian Held Kashmir and India is not allowed to build any
storage on the Main Jhelum River. The matter was accordingly taken up
by the Permanent Indus Commission for resolution under Article IX(1)
of the treaty. However, in spite of several meetings, the Commission
failed to resolve the issue and the construction work which India had
already started continued upto September 1987, when finally it got
suspended. On the request of the India, bilateral negotiation started at the
Secretary level. Upto 2008 as many as thirteen rounds of talks had been
held but no result has so far found. The current factual position is that
although the work at the site remains suspended, India still intends to
restart the work. The issue is part of the composite dialogue between
Pakistan and India.(Siddiqui,2010).
3.

Baglihar Hydroelectric Project

Baglihar was the third Indian project that became controversial and

the first one that went to the Neutral Expert for determination on
technical questions raised by Pakistan. This project in operation since
October 2008. it is located on Chenab river in district Doda. The project

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has two stages and both are of 450MW capacity. Pakistan raised six
objections to the design of the dam and argued that the project was not in
conformity with the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistani experts also feared
that India could also weaken Pakistans defense by stopping the Chenab
flow through the projects spill- ways as two canals emanate from Head
Marala, Sialkot, which irrigate central Punjab and are also constructed
for defense point of view, could be dried as and when the New Delhi
desires. Thus Pakistan has decided to construct Msngla-Head Marala
Link Canal to ensure water in the two canals that originate from Head
Marala.(Akhtar, 2010).
In March 2009, Pakistani Minister for water and power informed
the Parliament that Pakistan has demanded of India either to compensate
for the losses or provide water equal to 0.2 million acre feet. Pakistan
took up this case with India and Indus Water Commissioner. Pakistan
made an urgent visit to India in this connection, India accepted the
Pakistani claim of drop in Chenab flow during August and September.
The two meetings were held by Indus Water Commissioner, Pakistan
with its counterpart in India, but the meetings remained inconclusive.
India as usual stuck to its traditional obduracy and inflexibility which is
causing loss to Pakistan. Pakistan however, determined that India must
accept the violation by it and address it in future.(Siddiqui,2010).
4.

Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project

After Baglihar, India and Pakistan have got locked in a dispute

over the configuration of Kishanganga hydroelectric project and the

matter is now going to Court of Arbitration for settlement. The 300-MW,
Kishanganga hydroelectric project is located about 160km upstream of
Muzaffarabad. Pakistan first received reports about Indian intentions to
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develop the Kishanganga project in 1988 but India officially confirmed it

in June 1994 when it provided information regarding the storage work.
Initially Pakistan raised three objections to the project. In May 2004,
amid reservations voiced by Pakistan on the construction of Kishanganga
hydroelectric project, India promised to freeze all work at the site for six
months and hold a meeting with Pakistan for removing its objections.
India told the meeting that it was working on the foundation of the dam
and the powerhouse. Pakistan protested and said that construction work
should not have begun before removing its objections. The issue was
discussed in five meetings of the Commission held from November 2004
to November 2005 but differences over the project remained, further
India did not supply the data regarding the project. In May 2005,
Pakistan raised six objections of which three related to design of the
dam, two of the diversion of water and one to the power generation
scheme. Pakistan also accepted an Indian proposal to set 15 July as
deadline for resolving the Kishangana project issue.(Akhtar,2010). As;
has been reported in the international press, Indian cabinet has approved
to go ahead with 330MW Kishanganga project in Indian held Kashmir,
in violation of Indus Water Treaty. It intends to complete the project by
the year 2016, one year ahead of Pakistan project of diversion of Neelum
river to Jhelum river. The Indian project would divert the River Neelum
to Wullar Lake upstream of the Pakistan project and would leave very
little water for Pakistans project, so Pakistan has gone to the court of
Arbitration for resolution of the issue.(Siddique, 2010).
5.

Dul Hasti Hydroelectric Plant

The two-stage Dul Hasti hydropower project with an installed

capacity of 390 MW is located on the main Chenab in district Doda.

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Pakistan believed it was just not a hydroelectric station but a full-fledged

dam aimed at storing water for irrigation needs as seen in the case of
Baglihar dam.
This project was originated in 1983 by the Indian Prime Minister,
Mrs. Indra Gandhi at a cost of Rs 34 billion. This project envisages the
construction of

180.5m long and 59.5 high concrete gravity dam

upstream of Baglihar hydroelectric project on river Chenab. The

construction of this dam was started in 1991. Compared to Salal and
Baglihar Projects, the effect of this project on Pakistan is not grave since
the stoppage of water can be of the order of 1-2 days only. However, it is
imperative to discourage India from providing under-sluices type gated
spillways in the body of the dam.(Ahmed, 2012).
6.

Uri-Ii Hydel Power Project

This hydel power project is located on the Jhelum in Baramulla

district of Indian occupied Kashmir. The project is planned immediacy

downstream of Uri-I and will pick up its tail water to make use of the
gross head of about 130m available in the course of the river between
Uri-I tailrace outlet. In October 2002, Pakistan asked India to supply
informtion about Uri-II project. In July2004, Pakistan again asked India
to provide the said information, in March 2005, Pakistan repeated the
request and India finally provided some information about the plant. In
April 2006, Pakistan sent its observations to India. India did not inform
Pakistan and started unilateral construction on the project, in June, 2007,
India rejected Pakistans demand for stopping work on the Uri-II project
while Pakistan threatened to seek World Bank intervetion if India did not
stop construction work.(Sharma,2007). India remained insistent and did
not stop work. Some adjustments have been made on Uri-II and the
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construction work has reached its final stage and is set for completion at
the end of 2011.
7.

Nimoo Bazgo Hydro Project

Nimoo Bazgo Hydel project 45 MW is a run of the river scheme. It

is located on the main Indus in Ladakh district. The construction work of

dam is in full swing. On March 29, 2010 in a meeting of the Indus
Commissioner India handed over construction planes and maps of the
project to Pakistan. Pakistan expressed reservations on this project
showed its fear that the Indian projects might obstruct smooth supply of
water to Pakistan. Pakistan has raised six objections to Nimoo Bazgo. At
the July 2010 meeting of the Indus Commissioners, India expressed its
inability to discuss construction of Nimo Bazgo hydropower project
saying it was not part of the ongoing negotiations. Pakistan has also not
been allowed yet to visit site of this project. (Akhtar,2010).
BURSAR DAM
This dam is considered as the biggest project build by India on two
major rivers Jhelum and Chenab flowing through the state of Indian
occupied Kashmir into Pakistan. This dam would be constructed near
Hanzal village in Doda District on the Marusudar River, the main right
bank tributary of the river Chenab. According to the sources, it will store
2.2 MAP and generate 1020 MW of electricity and will be completed
within 6-7 years of Rs. 43.78 billion. The construction of this dam would
be a serious violation of the Indus Water treaty as it store the 2.2 MAP is
much beyond permissible limits. (Ahmed,2012). The height of this dam
will be 829 ft, while in comparison, the Tarbela dam height is 485ft,
Mangla dam height is 453 ft. Actually this dam will be a storage facility,

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which will regulate the flow of water to all downstream projects like Dul
Hasti project, Baglihar dam and Salal dam.
This proposed dam violates the Indus Water treaty as well as
international environmental convention. It will cause water scarcity in
Pakistan, and it would also contribute towards melting of Himalayan
glaciers. More than 4900 acres of thick forest would be submerged and
the whole population of Hanzal village would be displaced.
According to some experts, the project is located in Kishtwar High
Altitude National Park (about 2 million acre feet) which is an
environmentally protected area. Spreading over an area of 400km, the
park contains 15 mammals species including the musk dear and
Himalayan black and brown bear and some rear birds for which an
environmental impact assessment study is necessary. (Ahmed, 2012).
Pakistans Commissioner for Indus Waters has repeatedly asked his
Indian counterpart to provide details of the proposed water storage and
hydropower projects, including Bursar dam, but India has taken the stand
that it was aware of its legal obligations and it would inform Pakistan
about the project details and relevant data six months before construction
activities as required under the Treaty. (Ahmed, 2012).
The Court Of Arbitration Decision About Kishanganga Hydro
project, Victory Or Defeat
The Court of Arbitration had granted a stay order against the
construction of the Kishanganga dam structure on 25 September, 2011,
both Pakistan and India initially claimed victory after the announcement
of the Court of Arbitrations interim order. The court has granted the
stay order against construction of the dam structure but has allowed India

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to continue work on allied facilities, like the tunnel required to construct

the dam. That India may not construct any permanent structures on or
above the river bed is explicitly stipulated the order, according to order;
Except for the sub surface foundations of the dam, India shall
not proceed with the construction of any permanent works on or
above the Kishanganga / Neelum riverbed at the Gurez site that may
inhibit the restoration of the full flow of that river to its natural
channel. (Bhutta, 2011).
While Indian Government and Media highlighted that one clause
and gave full coverage, extrapolating that saves the permanent structures
and they allowed going ahead with the construction. On other side
Pakistan claimed that the decision was in its favour because that order
bars India from continuing work on the dam construction. The former
Indus Water Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Jammat Ali Shah said that
the real issue was to stop the India from the construction of the dam,
which the court has ordered.
Kishanganga Dam, Threat to Pakistan
Kishanganga dam also a big threat to Pakistan because with the
construction of the dam, India would divert water from the kishanganga
river which is known as Neelum river when enters into Azad Kashmir.
India constructing a 23-kilometer long tunnel which produce 330 MWs
or power. The water will subsequently be discharged into the Wullar
Lake and ultimately flow through Jhelum River to Muzaffarabad. If this
project completed, the dam would result in a 21% drop in Neelum
Rivers inflow, thereby reducing the prospective energy generation from
Pakistans Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project by 10%. According to

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Pakistans officials, India has completed 15% of the construction work

on Kishanganga but according to some other resources, India has
completed 43% of the work. (Bhutta, 2011).
Indias Justification Using Water Of Western Rivers :
India has been betraying the international community for its foul
play on western rivers, quoting two excuses. First; Pakistan is unable to
preserve its water by constructing dams and water storages in its
territory, resulting into a large quantity of water flowing down to Arabian
Sea, therefore India is securing the water while the second reason is that
these water dams and storages are for the utilization of the people of
Kashmir, under Indian occupation; either to produce electricity and
irrigation. But these both arguments of India are baseless and without
logic. India is planning to permanently deprive Pakistan from its share of
water, thus converting the agricultural Pakistan into desert and barren
Pakistan, the current requirements of electricity in Kashmir is 5000 MWs
and only a limited portion of the land could be irrigated by the water of
rivers because mostly land of Kashmir is arid. So it is clear that shifting
of the water of these rivers to Indian territory through a program.
Actually, India is working on these projects to produce over 43,000
MWs of electricity, which is more than the need of the people of
occupied Kashmir. Than this electricity would be used for the heavy
industrialization of India. While on other side it is true that we have not
been able to build sufficient water reservoirs to preserve the surplus
water especially during the rainy season for many reasons, nevertheless,
this does not give India with enough cause to encroach over the Pakistani
share of water .(Khan, 2011).

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The Perceived Threat to Pakistan

During the last few years, the issue of water between India and
Pakistan has gained much importance. The violation of the Indus Water
Treaty(1960) by construction of dams on western rivers, which are given
to Pakistan by this treaty, Pakistan has to decribe India as their eternal
enemy and accuse India of trying to suffocate the Pakistan economy.
Pakistani leaders blaming India for acting under an internatonal
cospiracy led by America, Israel and India against Pakistan. Over the
years, India has planned construction of round about 100 large and small
hydroelectric projects and reservoirs on the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.
In early 2008, an editorial in the urdu newspaper Roznama Ausaf
accused India of planning a WATER BOMB strategy to strangle
Pakistan economically and India wants to achieve through a water bomb,
what it could not achieve through the three wars waged over the past six
decades. India is planning 50 dams to raid the water of rivers flowing
into Pakistan. The IBWC warned: If this is not foiled, Pakistan will face
the worst famine and economic disaster.(Ahmed,2009).
One month after the inauguration of first phase of the Baglihar
project by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Jammat Ali Shah,
Pakistans Indus Water Commissioner and liaison between the countries
within the frame work the treaty, warned that India plans to make
Pakistan barren by 2014 by stopping its water. Within a week of the
dams inauguration, Major General Athar Abbas, a spokesman for the
Pakistan Army expressed concern over the Baglihar, describing it as a
defense security concern. He stated that a number of canals, drains and
artificial distributries used for irrigation purposes are crucial during times
of war. The strategic importance of the Indian water projects in Kashmir
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is so significant that officials from the Pakistan Army headqurters

attended a government meeting on the issue in February 2009 to discuss
the impact of the said dams on Pakistans water and defence
intereststhe Armed Forces became alarmed when they learned the
projects could wreak havoc if the same dams were to collapse or
malfunction.(Ahmed,2009). Gen.Zulfiqar Ali, former chairman of
Pakistans Water and Power Development Authority expressed that by
building dams on rivers in Kashmi,India wants to make Pakistan a
Somalia by stopping its water and India has achieved military, economic
and political supermacy vis--vis Pakistan.(Ahmed,2009).
A number of Pakistani experts and commentators warned that the
water issue may incite nuclear war between the two countries.the
convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Yousaf Naseem
atated that Pakistan is facing a water crisis and that the Indian efforts to
effect cuts in its water share from the rivers flowing into Pakistan could
compel Pakistan to use unconventional weapons against India and the
Kashmir issue is cardinal to Pakistan-India relations. Unless this issue is
resolved, the Damocles sword of a nuclear clash will remain hanging
over the region. Kashmir is very important for Pakistn and a delay in the
resolution of this issue will jeopardize the peace of the region.
The famous editor Majeed Nizami accused India of blocking water
from River Chenab and further proclaimed that India wants to destroy
Pakistan, saying: Our crops are not getting water, if the situation
continues, Pakistan will become Somalia and Sudan (Ahmed, 2009).
Pakistan also fears that the cumulative live storage of these
projects would have adverse impact both in terms of causing floods and
running the Chenab and the Jhelum dry in the time when Pakistan needs
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the water more. The sheer number of the dames/schemes that India is
building on three Western rivers is massive, generating fears in Pakistan
about their adverse implications for flow of water to Pakistan. India is to
build 135 big or small dams,24 on the Indus, 77 on the Jhelum and 34 on
the Chenab. Pakistan is apprehensive that even with strict compliance
with the provisions of the Treaty in each case, India might taking all the
projects together aquire a measure of control over the water of the
Western rivers and might potentially be able to inflict harm on Pakistan.
(Ramaswamy,2010) .

CONCLUSION
The Indus Water Treaty is coming under stress due to both
growing water scarcity in India and Pakistan ecological threat to the
Indus basin rivers system. The treaty was signed as a permanent solution
to the water sharing problem between the two countries when water was
in abundance in the Indus system. The Indus Water Treaty provides
opportunity for future cooperation on water issue but unfortunately, since
the signing of the treaty, no project has been undertaken under the
provisions of future cooperation. Due to climatic changes and water
insecurity in the basin has heightened resulting in politicization of the
water issue between the two countries. The growing water stress has
coincided with Indias ambitious plan to construct a large number of
large hydropower plants, especially on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers.
The fact that India has not been forthcoming in sharing information and
engineering details regarding these projects as required in the Treaty has
Aroused Pakistans apprehension. The projects of hydroelectric power
made by India are not merely of run of the river structures as allowed

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under the treaty but their number and structures allow India to acquire
manipulative control that could be used to hamper water flows into
Pakistan. The worst scenario for Pakistan is the Indian ability to stop
water in lean period and release it in wet season. Further the Indian
Projects have adverse trans- boundary impacts both environmental and in
terms of power generation as is evident in the case of Neelum-Jhelum
project.(Akhtar,2010). All these things created a vacuum of mistrust
between India and Pakistan and water issue got much importance, now it
got top position in bilateral meetings between the two countries. There is
a larger political dimension to the whole problem of the rivers water
distribution between Pakistan and India. To Pakistan the Kashmir issue is
irrevocably linked to the Indus Water Treaty as the headwaters of all the
rivers of Pakistan and meant for Pakistan flow through Kashmir and
India happens to the upper riparian state. The fear exists that India could
manipulate the water to starve Pakistan so Water issue now a core issue
in Pak-India relations.
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Bhutta zafar(2011), Kishanganga dam: is partial stay order a
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September 2011, http

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