Baluchistan with lesser irrigation facilities due to its out of the way geographic location has great potential to irrigate the 5 million acres of gigantic Kachi plain if water is arranged

Presently a small part of the Kachi plain in Baluchistan is indirectly irrigated from the Indus water from Guddu barrage with its ‘control head works’ in Sindh. This is because of its geographic location out of the way from the Indus river water. Moreover, from Guddu, it only commands the tail of the Kachi plain. It is observed that Baluchistan generally complaints that Sindh uses Baluchistan water and it suffer on this account.

The most suitable site from where there seems the possibility to take out a canal to irrigate the entire Kachi plain by gravity flow is the Chashma barrage site in Dera Ismail Khan discovered by me in 1960-61 and reported in April 1962 to all concerned. The proposed canal for Kachi plain was named as All Pakistan Grand Canal. The canal is capable to irrigate all the four provinces. Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) in DIKhan augmented  the old Paharpur canal. CRBC irrigated Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP and Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab. My proposal to built All Pakistan Grand Canal included the irrigation of three or four provinces and the whole of Kachi plain but WAPDA ignored this or remained ignorant of it. It only implemented the CRBC project initiated by the Government of NWFP.

Baluchistan has only one source of water and that is the Indus River to irrigate Kachi plain, and Chashma barrage site is the highest point to irrigate the large part of the Kachi plain by gravity flow. Baluchistan has no other mega water source of its own to irrigate lands in Kachi. Because of the geography of Baluchistan, Jehlum River and Chenab River waters cannot irrigate the vast Kachi plain.

WAPDA planned to irrigate Kachi plain in Baluchistan at random from Mithon Kot and wrongly    aligned the canal as a long feeder canal and then abandoned it. Perhaps it was not  commanding reasonable area of the lower Kachi plain. At the same time its cost was raised from Rs 30 billion to 70 billion because of ill planning.

After failure at Mithon Kot, WAPDA shifted the Kachi canal ‘take out point’ to Taunsa barrage for better command to irrigate. The project is still going on and one is not sure what will happen to this and that how much area will it irrigate?

Baluchistan has no direct source of irrigation from the Indus River due to its geographical location. Moreover, it is located away from all the mega rivers of Pakistan. This is the reason irrigation development of Baluchistan was not tried during the British rule and the same followed by Pakistan. The small share of water of Baluchistan in the Indus water is also stolen by Sindh at Guddu barrage. Baluchistan always lodges complaints but no one listen.

I prepared a Master Plan after investigations for about two years for the optimum development of water and power resources of Pakistan in April, 1962, identifying 12 mega dams that included the unique 35 maf Katzarah Dam and the 8.5 maf Guroh Dop Dam on Panjkora River. While consulting the GTS maps, I came across the vast Kachi plain of Baluchistan. It came to my mind to build Chashma barrage on the Indus before the construction of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) on the Indus, just upstream of the old Chashma head works for Paharpur canal, and take off All Pakistan Grand Canal to irrigate lands in all the four provinces by gravity flow. A canal from Chashma would cover almost the entire Kachi plain of Baluchistan starting from the town of Sibi at an elevation of 440 feet. All Pakistan Grand Canal was planned in combination with Katzarah Dam to store floodwater going waste to sea. The pond level at Chashma barrage is between elevation 642 to 646. The highest level of Kachi plan at Sibi is at elevation 440. There is a fall of more than 200 feet.

The Kachi canal would serve as a mini Indus basin irrigation system on the right bank of the Indus River roughly irrigating an area of 5 million acres. On full development, Baluchistan can accrue income from agriculture of about $12 billion each year. The canal will have a first class road in the shape of a Highway or Motorway running near the bank of canal. This road would be connecting Karachi with Islamabad and Peshawar as an alternate route. A new area would be opened in Baluchistan for its rapid development and prosperity.

The Kachi canal irrigation developing the gigantic Kachi plain will serve as a very strong bond uniting Pakistan and would be like the spinal cord of the country. The prosperity of the people of Baluchistan will have big leap and the backlog in development will turn into jumping prosperity. This prosperity will lead to explore the wealth of minerals in Baluchistan. The Gwadar port would serve as the gateway to prosperity. I am sure within the next 30 to 40 years  Baluchistan would lead the other three provinces of Pakistan in development if the above proposal is implemented.                   

Baluchistan and NWFP both have not fully used their water share allocated to them in the Water Accord due to lack of finances, lack of technically sound projects and many other hurdles. Baluchistan unused share of water be used in the development of Kachi plain and if some more water is needed for Kachi plain, the Water Accord may be adjusted accordingly  by raising Baluchistan share of 12 per cent in flood supplies in para 4 of the Water Accord after the building of Katzarah Dam.

The 35 maf Katzarah Dam will store floodwater that goes waste to sea each year. There will then be no water problem to irrigate the Kachi plain. Moreover, about 40 maf of wastage of water would be saved from the 165 years old, wasteful, incompatible  and obsolete  canal irrigation system if Integrated Comprehensive Water Management is carried out. The canal system needs modernization. Water Accord para 14 (e) requires to avoid all wastage.  There will then be no water shortage problem as all wastage will be avoided.

  

Due to the sideward geographic location of Baluchistan and for being away from the sources of river water, irrigation development in Baluchistan did not take place. Therefore the total water allocation of Baluchistan for Kharif is 2.85 maf and for Rabi it is 1.02 maf. The total is 3.87 maf. According to the need the allocation of water to Baluchistan can be increased from floodwater supplies on building Basha Dam and Katzarah Dam to irrigate the entire Kachi plain.

Moreover, it is reported that about 30 maf of water is stolen from the Indus River between the reach Chashma to Guddu and from Guddu to Kotri as tube wells are installed near the bank of the Indus. These unauthorized tube wells are steeling river water with in Punjab and Sindh. This creates shortage of water. IRSA should arrange to stop this practice or corresponding quantity of water should be deducted from the share of Punjab and Sindh.

  

All conspiracies and foreign interference in Baluchistan will stop when the people of Baluchistan   are engaged in the development activities specially the agricultural and mineral development of Baluchistan. Poverty, depravation, and idleness give rise to all crimes and are the killer means to destroy the inner potential and capability of an individual. Therefore constructive activities are needed so that the mind is engaged and poverty and idleness are removed. It also develops sense of patriotism.

In view of the above, let the Government of Pakistan promise to build Kachi canal in combination with Katzarah Dam and create Authority for mineral development of Baluchistan. An ordinance may be promulgated to implement this as early as possible. I would also request the Politicians of Baluchistan to lay emphasis on development and demand specific schemes like the above projects as it will create the source of living within the province. The politicians of Baluchistan and the Government of Baluchistan should raise this demand in National Assembly.           

As far as rapid development and money is concerned, I would suggest that Muslim countries, especially the Saudi Arabia, Government of Pakistan and the people of Baluchistan may form a cooperative society. Let the three agree that Saudi Arabia and the Government of Pakistan will bear the finances of the project, the people of Baluchistan will provide land and security facilities for a period of say about  40 years. After the completion of the projects, the profit that will accrue, 40 per cent of that will be given to Saudi Arabia, 20 percent to the Government of Pakistan and 40 percent to the people of Baluchistan for a fixed period. All jobs will be given to the people of Baluchistan.

 Copy to:

The Chief Secretary Government of Baluchistan, Quetta

Additional Chief Secretary Pand D, Government of Baluchistan Quetta

Secretary Irrigation Government of Quetta

Speaker, Provincial Assembly Quetta

Secretary Water and Power Government of Pakistan Islamabad

Minister for Water and Power Government of Pakistan Islamabad

Chairman, IRSA Government of Pakistan, Islamabad.

Development of Baluchistan is of vital necessity. Therefore agricultural and mineral development may be given top priority. The building of Katzarah Dam and Guroh Dop Dam are of dire necessity to make more floodwater available under para 4 of Water Accord to the provinces. Let IRSA monitor and distribute the floodwater of the Indus River for optimum use of the provinces.

It is pointed out that no new irrigation scheme in any province can be built unless floodwater is stored as per para 4 and 6 of the Water Accord.

      

India gave wrong meanings to the technical definitions of terms used in the IWT to create unlimited storage on rivers

(India cheated Pakistan on framing wrong definitions of technical terms in the IWT but Pakistan foolishly remained ignorant)

Preamble of Indus Waters Treaty.

In spite of wrong meanings and interpretations given to the technical definitions of terms used in the Indus Waters Treaty, the Preamble of the Treaty provides that “the water rights and obligations of each in relation to the other concerning the use of these waters cannot be altered”. Unfortunately, the technical definitions mentioned in Annexture D, from ( c ) to ( g ) are totally altered and are not used in the sense provided in the terms used internationally in dams and reservoirs engineering. The wrong definitions given in the IWT to these terms convey different meanings than the recognized technical meanings of terms. This is a trick to create unrestricted storage on all rivers because of wrong definitions.  Pakistan foolishly remained ignorant for not pointing out wrong meanings given to the technical terms in Annexure D. Wrong definitions makes the Treaty unjust, inequitable and partial. It requires correction.

Wrong meanings given to the terms are; Pondage, Full Pondage Level, Surcharge Storage, Operating Pool and Run-of the-river. The fact is that in this Treaty we are only concerned with the Gross Storage, Dead Storage, Live Storage and run-of-the-river in building dams. Whatever India has done to cheat Pakistan, water rights of Pakistan cannot be usurped and India cannot create more than 4.19 maf of storage water. India has so far created about 48 maf of Gross Storage and is creating more by building another 9 dams.

Pakistan water rights are further confirmed and guaranteed under Article XI (3) that, the rights and obligations of each party under the Treaty shall remain unaffected by any provision contained in or anything arising out of the execution of any agreement. Under these provisions, the wrong definitions of terms can be ignored as water rights of Pakistan cannot be changed or reduced and storage more than 4.19 maf cannot be created. Wrong definitions make the Treaty unjust and ineffective. What India has done is aggression on the water rights of Pakistan. By creating huge illegal storage, in the name of Pondage, Pondage Level, Surcharge, operating Pool and run-of-the-river India cheated Pakistan. Also, it further complicated Kashmir issue.

In the context of the above two basic and clear provisions on water rights, the water rights of Pakistan in no form can be usurped and diverted by India simply by twisting definitions giving them wrong meanings to illegally create extra storage. The definitions in Annexure D of the IWT of Pondage, Full Pondage level, the Surcharge Storage, Operating Pool, and run-of-river plant are all totally changed, wrong, and made ridiculous to cheat the other party of its water rights. The jugglery of words cannot allow India to store more water than the allowable storage of 4.19 maf. The definitions given in Annexture D are no where used in the sense as used in the Agreement of the Treaty. These wrong definitions need replacement by correct definitions limiting the terms to only four, namely Gross Storage, Dead Storage, Live Storage and run-of-the-river. The other terms used in the Treaty are for bad intention. The definitions of terms given in Annexure D are discussed below highlighting their wrong meanings to create unlimited storage. It will be seen how cleverly facts are distorted, violating the Treaty. All this is planned to stop Rabi supplies to Pakistan to destroy economically and subject its people to famine. Creating this situation is creating cause for war.

Pondage.  Annexture D ( c ).

Please see the definition of Pondage in the dictionary. Pondage means small quantity of standing water where generally buffalos bathe. It does not mean Live Storage of any quantity as adopted in the definition of Pondage in the Treaty. Thus Pondage never means as “Live storage of only sufficient magnitude to meet fluctuations in the discharge of the turbines arising from variations in the daily and weekly loads of plant.

The definition in the Treaty means, that India can create any amount of storage to run the turbines to their designed installed power generation capability. On run-of-the-river flow, installed power generation is not possible unless huge storage is created for it. The Treaty does not allow this Live Storage under the definition of run-of-the-river. Pondage does not mean run-of-the river. Run-of-the-river does not mean creating any amount of storage. It only means a hydro-electric plant that develops power without Live Storage. Pondage is therefore no live storage.

Full Pondage Level. Annexture D (d).

This is again a concocted definition like of Pondage coined for the Treaty to create more storage. In this, Treaty Full Pondage Level means maximum storage created by each dam as per its design with no restrictions on design to create any storage. The wrong definitions given in the Treaty for Pondage and Pondage Level means no restriction on the design to create any amount of storage in millions of acres feet (maf).

These definitions clearly amount to befooling, cheating and depriving the water rights of the other party and befooling all those who participated in the Treaty. Full Pondage Level in the Treaty means any amount of storage created without restrictions. This definition is not only wrong but illegal and ridiculous. It shows bad intention. These definitions allow creating any amount of storage on our Western Rivers allocated to Pakistan.

India is only allowed to create 4.19 maf of water in the Treaty and no more. Therefore these wrong definitions are not applicable. This is how India cheated Pakistan by depriving its water rights by building 32 dams, illegally created 48 maf of Gross storage, that includes 10 maf of Dead Storage and 38 maf of Live storage, against the allowable storage of 4.19 maf of water. This dangerous ability acquired by India will totally block Rabi flows to Pakistan during the critical period of growing. This will render the Indus Basin Canal Irrigation System seasonal or non-perennial creating famine conditions.

India diverted perennial water that irrigated Punjab of Pakistan. In replacement to this, India contributed on a small scale to build Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam on Pakistani rivers to create time-based storage with limited life span. Time-limited storage flow of water cannot be equated to the perennial flow or all time flow. This is yet another point of inequality showing injustice that needs rectification. Pakistan got no equivalent perennial water, whereas, it gave perennial water to India. Surprisingly, the huge Live storage created by India is through the wrong definitions given the name of pondage, pondage level, Surcharge Storage, Operating Pool and run-of-the-river. Standing water in small quantity in Pond and Pool is wrongly considered as unrestricted Live Storage.

Annexture D (e) Surcharge Storage. 

The Treaty defines Surcharge Storage as uncontrollable Storage occupying space above the Full Pondage Level. This actually means floodwater. The use of word floodwater is avoided. Pondage Level is ridiculously termed as Live Storage as per design with no restrictions. Surcharge Storage is given the meanings as more storage than the Live designed Storage. It means Floodwater and is given the name of Surcharge Storage. Under this definition India can store even the floodwater. This is all trickery of words, and wrong meanings given to all definitions with the intention to cheat Pakistan who trusted India.  Wrong meanings given to all these technical definitions require the Treaty to be modified under Article XII (3) to set right all these flaws to make it just and equitable. These definitions are over lapping each other and are confusing. This Treaty is only concerned with terms of Gross Storage, Dead Storage, Live Storage and run-of-the-river. It is a matter of grief that no engineer in Pakistan could catch this hidden trick.

Annexture D (f) Operating Pool.

Operating Pool in the Treaty is defined as the storage created between the Dead Storage Level and Full Pondage Level. This means any amount of Live Storage provided in the design of the dam according to the will of India with no restrictions.

It is clear that all definitions provided in this Treaty are wrong, distorted and changed than their original meanings. These definitions provide free hand to India to create any storage, to do anything it likes in any manner it likes. This Treaty gives India complete control over the flow of our rivers, this is why India  has created colossal storage capacity. This is the reason that India built 32 mega dams creating 48 maf of Gross Storage and about 38 maf of Live Storage in occupied Kashmir with the intention to hold Rabi supplies of about 38 maf to Pakistan during the growing season. India will use water as an unusual weapon of silent war to destroy Pakistan.

Annexture D (g) Run-of-river Plant.

It is only the run-of-the-River whose definition is correctly defined but attached unusual conditions to its definition, making it clearly unfair and ridiculous. The run-of-the-river is defined in the Treaty as no use of Live Storage involved in generating power. But in the Treaty, this definition is twisted with bad intention by adding ”except Pondage and surcharge storage. Why? This destroyed the sense and the meaning of run-of-the-river in the definition. These definitions coined by India enable India to create any amount of storage on a river without restrictions. The meaning of the run-of-river is distorted and changed. The allowable power generation in the Treaty is based on run-of-the-river with no Live Storage in support but India created 38 maf of Live Storage so far.

Under these self coined definitions by India, there are no restrictions on India to build any number of dams creating any amount of storage without any restrictions. This is against the spirit of the Treaty and its Preamble. Unjust and inequitable Treaty can be the potential source of war.  This direly needs to modify the Treaty as provided in its Article XII (3) to make it just and equitable and to maintain long time peace in the region. India is not allowed under the Treaty to create more storage than 4.19 maf under any conditions. Refer to Article XI (3).

India gains Political objectives by using Treaty to destroy Pakistan economically

Pakistan trusted India and signed the Treaty with good intention, aiming peace and good relations with India. So far Pakistan did not realize to scrutinize the definitions given in the Treaty trusting India that it will not create more storage than the allowable of 4.19 maf. But surprisingly it came across the report made by the US Senator John Kerry to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations fearing water war between India and Pakistan. The title of the report is “Avoiding water wars: Water Scarcity…”. The excerpt from the report is quoted as:

“that India has acquired the ability to store enough water to limit the supply of water to Pakistan at critical moment in the growing season”.

John Kerry fears as India has created conditions for water war by stopping 38 maf of Pakistan’s Live storage of water from its own rivers, the Indus, the Jehlum and the Chenab because India is in illegal and forceful occupation of the occupied Kashmir the source of water of Pakistani rivers originating in occupied Kashmir. India will use water as a weapon of war in the near future and as a lethal weapon of mass destruction. This will create hunger, famine, and death as water will be used as a weapon for genocide against Pakistan.

 

How to ensure water rights to Pakistan for its existence and avoid water war (nuclear war).

·         It is suggested that Pakistan should get perennial water in place of perennial water diverted by India. This will only be possible that India release that water which irrigated Punjab of Pakistan in 1947. Change of boundary on partition cannot usurp water rights. This will be the easiest solution. Alternatively, India should build storage dams on perennial basis for Pakistan for getting perennial supplies all the time.

·         The best solution is that India should vacate occupied Kashmir the source of water to Pakistan

·         The Treaty should be modified with correct definitions as internationally used removing all drawbacks. The trust of Pakistan should not be betrayed by India as it can lead to nuclear war in the near future that must be avoided at all cost.

·         Pakistan will never surrender its water rights for the survival of its people. Therefore Pakistan should immediately take up the water issue with India at Ministers level to resolve the matter. Kashmir is already under dispute for the last 62 years. The water issue and the IWT would make the Kashmir issue more serious and compel Pakistan against its wishes for water war for its survival in self defense as correctly predicted and reported by John Kerry to the US Senate. The best and permanent solution and a step to achieve perpetual peace between India and Pakistan would be to hand over Kashmir to Kashmiri that is the origin and the source of Pakistani rivers. At the same time, partition that had sown the seed of war by handing over our hydrological region of Kashmir to India should return Kashmir to Pakistan for everlasting peace in the region. Peace is priceless as it is the foundation of rapid prosperity. Perpetual fear of war be avoided.

·         I suggest the matter of rapid silting of reservoirs and of the definitions in Annexture D of the Treaty besides creating 48 maf of gross storage against the allowable storage of 4.19 maf be taken up with India bringing these points to their notice and if need be approach the Court of arbitration on these points. A competent lawyer must get the assistance of competent water resource engineer. The issues created due to unjust Treaty may also be brought it to the notice of the Security Council as India wants to subjugate Pakistan by snatching its bread that can cause genocide. A step to avoid nuclear war lie in solving the root cause of the problems.        

Copy to

Secretary  water and Power Government of Pakistan Islamabad

Minister for Water and Power Government of Pakistan Islamabad

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

Kamal Majid ullah Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on water Cabinet Division, Islamabad

Secretary, Pakistan Engineering Congress, PEC Building (4^th Floor) 97-A/D1, Liberty Market,

Gulberg III, LAHORE.

It is brought to the notice of the Secretary Engineering Congress that the matter of the Indus Waters Treaty has become extremely serious as India has created 48 maf of gross storage depriving Pakistan of its Rabi water supplies of about 38 maf of water. This is because of distorting the definitions of the technical terms given in Annexure –D of the Treaty. The definitions are tactfully altered by India to create unlimited storage on Pakistani rivers against the allowable of 4.19 maf.

 As reported by Senator John Kerry to the US Senate, India has acquired the ability to completely stop Rabi supplies to Pakistan. This will turn the Canal Irrigation System seasonal or non-perennial. I send this paper to the Secretary Pakistan Engineering Congress-the large body of very competent and highly experienced engineers to examine the definitions given in Annexture D of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960.

I want the opinion of the Congress expertise on this paper. If they agree with my views I would then request the Congress to advise the Government that the definitions are wrong and Pakistan is cheated by India.

  

I thank Engr Akhtar Abbas Khawaja, the Secretary of the PEC who kindly acknowledged my previous paper in letter No.PEC/P-4/2012 January 30, 2012 titled Indus Basin Water Security in jeopardy and send it for evaluation.