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| Pakistan's anti-India itch on Indus Water Treaty | | | NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
Islamabad continues to be plagued by anti-India itch.The itch is beyond remedy despite the spirit of accommodation and adjustment shown by Delhi over a number of issues that Pakistan went on raking up from time to time.Of late the Bhagliar power project over the Chenab has become a bone of contention between the two sides again.It was this anti-India itch that not only resulted in the delay in the commissioning of the first phase of the 900 MW power project but it also led to the cost escalation in the completion of the project.Initially the projected was estimated to cost around Rs.4,000 crores but after its completion it was found that cost had swelled to over Rs.5,000 crores.
Taking shelter under the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 Pakistan even lodged a complaint with the World Bank accusing India of violating the Indus Water Treaty by constructing the Bhagliar project.Over the last 35 years Pakistan has adopted sadistic approach while objecting to the construction of the Lower Jehlum power project and the Uri project.Its objections had forced the Jammu and Kashmir Government to keep the Tulbul Dam project in the cold store despite the fact that the Dam was being built to facilitate river transport.On the basis of its complaint the World Bank appointed a Swiss civil engineer to arbitrate between India and Pakistan in the dispute over the Bhagliar project.The Swiss engineer submitted his report to the world Bank in which he had suggested slight modification in the design of the project.India accepted the suggestions unwillingly because the Indian engineers had explained to the Pakistani team,that had visited Bhagliar three times,that the design would not stop the flow of Chenab water into Pakistan.
Even after the commissioning of the first phase of the project Pakistan has again raised hue and cry over what it has called decrease in the water flow from Chenab to Pakistan.Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the drop in the flow of water had affected crops.Zardari has decided to take up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and has hoped that the dispute would be resolved soon.It seems neither Zardari nor the Pakistani engineers realise that it was a lean period in Jammu and Kashmir when the discharge of river water touches its low.In fact it is poor river discharge that has affected power generation from projects that have their source in the Chenab,the Indus and the Jehlum.Possibly they either are ignorant or feign ignorance when they hint at water being used for power generation which results in drop in the flow.Even a layman understands that after water is used for power generation from one end on the other end it flows to Pakistan.One may not be surprised if Pakistan tomorrow complaints that the water of Chenab allowed to flow into Pakistan was substandard after it was used for power generation.
Has Pakistan ever studied the losses that the State of Jammu and Kashmir suffer on account of the Indus Water Treaty.It was during the reign of the National Conference Government,during 1990 and 1996,that an expert committee had reviewed the impact of the Treaty.The committee report has said that the state has been suffering an annual loss to the tune of Rs.6,000 crores on account of limitations imposed by the Treaty on the use of water of the Indus,the Chenab and the Jehlum in power generation and irrigation.Since that period the state Government has been claiming compensation from the centre but so far no relief has been given.This has prompted former ruling political leaders,including,Farooq Abdullah and G.M.Shah,to plead for scrapping of the Treaty |
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