Silent Water War by India against Pakistan violating IWT and using Water as Weapon of War

The Indus Waters Treaty has become inefficacious as it lost its Replacement storage of 6.6 maf but no one took notice of the hidden collapse of the Treaty. Over and above, India has built 3 dozens of dams in occupied Kashmir on Chinab, Jehlum and the Indus Rivers and on their tributaries to hold water, waging silent water war by violating the Indus Waters Treaty and using water as weapon of mass hunger, death and destruction.

India will be able to store about 10 maf of water as “Dead Storage” and about 25 to 30 maf of “Live Storage” on these 33 dams. Under the Treaty, India is only allowed to store 4.19 maf of water on the six rivers. India is allowed run-of-the-river projects that do not allow storage. Water is allowed in the form of PONDAGE and not as STORAGE for hydropower projects. The great number of dams built by India clearly violates the IWT. Storage by these 33 dams will turn Jehlum, and Chinab Rivers as “Seasonal Rivers” for Pakistan in winter during the low supplies period. Seasonal means non-perennial during the winter when river supplies are at the lowest. This is the critical moment in Pakistan to grow Rabi Crops and early Kharif crops. India will withhold water in these dams as illegal storage water about 30 maf against the allowable of 4.19 maf in violation of the Treaty. The dead storage is once but is maintained.

Senator John Kerry confirmed the violation of the IWT while submitting his report to the US Congress. This is a clear proof for violating the Treaty to cause serious damages to the irrigated agriculture in the Indus Basin in Pakistan. Storage above 4.19 maf is also clear violation of the Treaty.

India has extended its water war on Pakistan by opening a Western front by planning 12 mega dams on Kabul River in Afghanistan. Here, India plans to create about 5.0 maf storage. All this proves bad intention, waging water war on two fronts, and violation of the IWT. The creation of 5 maf storage on Kabul River means the destruction of irrigated agriculture in Pakistan and the stopping of power generation at Warsak Dam during the low supplies period in winter as power generation at Warsak is on run-of-the-river.

India has silently declared water war on Pakistan on two fronts by attacking three rivers on the Eastern front, and on one river on the Western front. What more reliable proof of aggression and violation of the Treaty is needed? The stoppage of water on all the mega rivers by India flowing in to Pakistan would result in the destruction of irrigated agriculture in Pakistan, depriving Pakistan of its food basket. The consequences would be famine, hunger, poverty and terrorism. It will destroy peace. It will destroy economy. It will encourage and aggravate terrorism extending to India and other countries. Suicide bombers will play their role in the sub-continent. This will destroy India as it has destroyed Pakistan. I fear in such disturbed and poverty-stricken conditions and a state of terrorism, the possibility of nuclear conflict may not be avoided. India should not have a hungry and troubled neighbor, as a hungry neighbor is capable of doing any thing.

Silting of Reservoirs, loss of Replacement storage and No Replenishment of the lost storage under the Treaty makes IWT inefficacious.

The silting of reservoirs show the Indus Waters Treaty has become inefficacious. The Link Canals are redundant as no Replacement storage is available for transferring water to the deprived area of East Punjab of Pakistan. The East Punjab would become desert as it will be deprived of its established water rights of thousands of years. The winter flows of Chinab and Jehlum Rivers are stopped at critical moment of growing Rabi and Kharif crops as confirmed by Senator John Kerry. It is also confirmed by the planning of 12 dams on Kabul River by India. This shows India has silently waged water war on Pakistan by the wrong-use of the IWT. The Treaty is being misinterpreted and used as a weapon of mass destruction and water is used as a weapon of war for destroying irrigated agriculture in the Indus basin, creating famine in Pakistan. It is a very safe war for India using water as a weapon of hunger against Pakistan.

The silting of Replacement storage is a great set back to the IWT. The Treaty has almost become inefficacious. Pakistan has surrendered perennial water to India. In replacement, Pakistan got storage water for a short period. In view of water rights, Pakistan must get perennial storage in replacement to perennial storage or India must release water to the deprived area of East Punjab in Pakistan as it was available on 1947 and hundreds of years before. 

All this trouble between the two brotherly people is created by the British due to unjust and wrong partition as every one knows. Why not correct this by the mutual consent of both? Why not live in peace?

The solution to this explosive issue is that India offer to vacate occupied Kashmir in replacement to the states of Hydrabad Daccan, Junagarh and Manawadar. The people of the two countries get united in such a way as if it is one country. Ponder! what have we gained in 60 years querrel. Why not feed our hungry. India is advised in our mutual interest to change its aggressive attitude. India did not care for UN resolution. It violated IWT. It is creating a second front of water war by inciting Afghanistan to stop river water flow to Pakistan. India should fear terrorism and suicide bombing growing on its border. India should not aggravate terrorism.

I earnestly appeal some solution may be found short of nuclear war. This will be in the interest of the whole world. Wrong done by the British may be set right. Let us think over the root cause of dispute and try our best to set wrong right. We must think beyond river water that caused these issues. We must addressed the cause for solution and not its consequences. The consequences would disappear when the cause is removed.

  

 Please also keep in view these articles of the Treaty.           

Article III (2) says:

India shall be under obligation to let flow all the waters of Western Rivers, and shall not permit any “interference” with these waters, except for generating hydropower, drinking purposes, agriculture use, restricting storage to 4.19 maf on all six rivers.

Article XI (3) states:  “The rights and obligations of each party under this Treaty shall remain unaffected by any provisions contained in, or by any thing arising out of the execution of, any agreement establishing the Indus Basin Development Funds. (The perennial water rights of each party under the Treaty shall remain unaffected.)

Article XII (3);   The provision of this Treaty may from time to time be modified by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments.

I am at a loss how to forget the bitter past, and get united with love and respect to each other. God created human being as the most intelligent creation in the universe, and inspired him with Conscience to know what is good for him and what is bad. The whole universe is created for the service of Humankind. Let us not destroy God’s Earth and his creations, as this is His job. If we do not use the gift of Conscience, then there is no difference between the animals and humans. President Obama asked Israil to return to 1947 borders for the sake of peace.   

Engr Fateh Ullah Khan,   Former Chairman IRSA,

B.Sc Eng. (Distiction in Dams and Reservoir Engineering), M.ASCE (USA), FIE (Pak)

Copy to;

The Ministry of Water and Power, Islamabad  for taking notice of the serious situation. The above points in the IWT were never raised before. Please take notice of the silent Water War by India against Pakistan. The violations of the Treaty must be brought to the notice of India for settling the wrong right.

The IRSA for studying the situation in the context of Water Accord and in the context of regulating and monitoring the distribution of water resources of the Indus River in accordance with the Water Accord among the provinces and to provide for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto. Water Accord will have to be revised, as India will stop the perennial flow of Chinab and Jehlum in winter months at the critical moment of growing Rabi and early Kharif crops. The water availability will not be as of 1991 when Water Accord was drawn. The water availability situation is changing, and would create disputes between the provinces.

The Minister for Water and Power, Naveed Qamar Sahib to bring this matter to the notice of the Prime Minister as it is a very serious matter and should not be left to the routine bureaucratic process. Pakistan was sleeping all the passed 40 years as no dams were built and no water management was carried out. This resulted in floods of 2010 and the crippling load shedding that will never end. What is needed is rapid action, good governance, professional knowledge and keen interest with patriotic zeal.    

Advisor on Water to the Ministry of Water and Power Riaz Sahib with thanks for attending my briefing on Chinese $15 billion offer at IRSA office on 16.5.2011 for producing hydropower and storing water. The inefficaciousness of the IWT and the serious violations of the Treaty by India, diverting winter flows is water war on Pakistan to dry it, and creating famine in the Indus basin by destroying its irrigated agriculture. The Indus basin is the food basket of Pakistan. The Secretary Water, and the Minister for Water may please be briefed on the skillful violations of the Treaty by India and using water as a weapon of hunger and war.