Indus Waters Treaty a farce and ineffective Document
India cheated Pakistan on Indus Waters Treaty by depriving it of its perennial waters irrigating East Punjab of Pakistan. In replacement to the perennial water diverted by India, Pakistan, in return got storage water in Tarbela Dam Reservoir on the Indus, and Mangla Dam Reservoir on Jehlum River, both are Pakistan’s own rivers, allotted under the Treaty. Storage created on our rivers cannot be part of the deal. This means, Pakistan got nothing in return of the perennial water diverted by India irrigating East Punjab of Pakistan. Pakistan is obviously hoodwinked. The Treaty is unequal, partial, and farce. The Treaty snatched perennial water without compensation and with no regards for water rights in view of article XI (3) and the preamble.
Moreover, it is a known fact that storage water in reservoirs rapidly silt. Pakistan’s Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs both lost 6.5 maf of storage capacity till today. This practically means, the so called IWT has ceased to function due to the loss of pivotal storage water created under the terms of conditions of the IWTon account of silting, and needs recurring replenishment by India in place of diverting perennial water to safeguard Pakistan water rights. This is necessary to keep the so called Treaty alive. At present, there exists no storage water as part of the so called Treaty to compensate Pakistan, as that is lost due to silting. Whereas, on the other hand the perennial water taken over by India exists and India is using it on its lands uninterruptedly. It is obvious that temporary nature storage water, or time-based storage water on our own rivers, cannot be equated to the all time perennial water. The net result of the Treaty is that India deprived Pakistan of its perennial waters irrigating East Punjab for the last thousands of years and in return got nothing. Pakistan stands cheated all these years in the very presence of the World Bank who is the guarantor in implementing the Treaty in the light of article XI (3) that “the rights and obligations of each party under this Treaty shall remain unaffected”. Furthermore, article XII (3) provides that “The provisions of this Treaty may from time to time be modified by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments”. The Treaty therefore needs revision for equitability so that water rights of each party remain unaffected. The Treaty needs to restrict India to the allowable storage of 4.19 maf on Pakistan’s rivers. No area in Pakistan should be deprived of its water rights.
The second formidable cheating assault on causing water insecurity is the building of dozens of dam by India on Pakistan Rivers namely the Indus, Jehlum and Chenab Rivers. This created fear of war between India and Pakistan as is hinted by the US Senator John Kerry informing the US Senate. John Kerry reported that India built 32 dams on Pakistani Rivers in Indian Occupied Territory that is disputed territory depriving Pakistan of its waters. John Kerry reveals India acquired the capability to stop complete Rabi season water supplies to Pakistan of about 38 maf of live storage from Chenab and Jehlum Rivers during the critical crop growing period against the allowable storage to India of 4.19 maf. On the contrary, India stole by creating more than 38 maf live storage belonging to Pakistan, thereby violating the Treaty. India thus ignored the IWT by terrible multiple violations. I would not call all this violation but terrible planned aggression. Thanks to John Kerry who revealed the facts whereas Pakistan was in deep slumber.
In a third attack, India has planned to build another 9 dams on Chenab River allocated to Pakistan. One of the mega projects of 9 dams on Pakistan’s Chenab River is Gypsa Dam equivalent to Munda Dam on Swat River in Pakistan.
Besides all the three violations as above, the most serious water aggression planned by India is the diversion of Pakistani Chenab River, connecting it with Indian Beas River. The Indian objective is to stop even the flood flows of Chenab River to Pakistan. India knows that occupied Kashmir is disputed territory even then water war against Pakistan is waged from there. India cannot divert occupied Kashmir’s water and power resources to its territory. Pakistan and Kashmiri claim occupied Kashmir. Both are deprived of their natural resources by India. The case of Kashmir is lying with the United Nations unsettled for the past 63 years. Delay in justice is inhuman, as that supports the aggressor.
Kashmir is Pakistan’s integral hydrological part as all its rivers originate from Kashmir which India controls. This is all time potential danger. After silting of Tarbela and Mangla Reservoirs losing 6.5 maf of storage water, Pakistan has the right that the original perennial supplies to East Punjab of Pakistan be immediately restored to it as was in 1947 and before. Pakistan should claim this rihjt now. Moreover, Kashmir be handed over to Pakistan peacefully as Pakistan food and economy depends on it, otherwise war is the fate irrespective of its horrible consequences. John Kerry rightly feared nuclear war and as such reported to the US Senate.
The fourth aggression in the form of technical trick played by India and unnoticed by all involved in the IWT is in wrongly defining the established and recognized meanings of definitions given in the Treaty in its Appendix-D from (c) to (g). The definitions of Pondage, Full pondage level, Surcharge storage, Operating pool and run-of-river are wrong and ridiculous as these wrong definitions empowered India to create unlimited storage useping the water rights of Pakistan. These wrong definitions are not acceptable as these are concocted and camouflaged in the form of Appendix with the purpose of cheating. Only internationally recognized definitions are accepted. Let the Government of Pakistan officially request the American Society of Civil Engineers (Irrigation Division) to give the recognized meanings of all these terms as used in the Appendix-D of the Treaty.
The water problem is created due to wrong partition of India as Pakistan’s irrigated agriculture cannot survive when it is deprived of its hydrological unit of Kashmir the source of origin of all rivers where most of their catchment lie and that is under the control of India. This issue needs to be set right to avert future nuclear horrible war endangering the earth. This is already foreseen by John Kerry and reported to the US Senate that Asia is the spot for nuclear war because of water aggression by India. This is the case where all nations of the world must be worried and try to solve the issue of Kashmir. This is more serious than the climate change for the whole world to worry about. Pakistan with a population of 180 million will not tolerate sever insecurity of water and food when it is snatched from it. India is using water as a weapon of mass destruction—inhuman act. India is bent upon to permanently damage the world’s largest contiguous canal irrigation system in the Indus basin—the food basket of Pakistan. Indus Basin Canal irrigation system will turn non-perennial when rivers flows in winter are stopped by India. This would create food shortage, hunger, famine, deaths and genocide and the world too would lose agriculture produce from the Indus basin Canal irrigation system.
India usurped 12700 MW of hydropower of occupied Kashmir and about 38 maf of live storage belonging to Pakistan. Kashmir is deprived of its natural resources of water and power by India and Pakistan its water rights.
In spite of all above, the Government of Pakistan is unconcerned as none of these issues are raised at International level. Even the alarming warning in Senator John Kerry report is ignored. It appears India got immunity to violate the IWT and create unlimited storage on Pakistani Rivers in occupied Kashmir. India is fighting a water war in the guise of Treaty to render the Indus Basin Irrigation System un-operative.
The above inability shows the Government has failed to protect its people from the silent water war waged by India for the last about 40 years in building dozens of dams on Pakistani rivers and depriving Pakistan of its water rights that it uses for the last thousands of years.
In such unique aggression when the Government has become inert and silent, then the Supreme Court of Pakistan may take suo moto action to recue 180 million people of Pakistan from water and food insecurity, death and devastation. The Supreme Court may move the International court of Justice and the Security Council and human rights organizations.
The Supreme Court of India directed the Government of India to inter link all Indian Rivers so that water resource is equally shared by all provinces. Similarly our Supreme Court may take action to save us from hunger, famine, death, devastation and genocide by safeguarding our water rights as admitted in the Treaty. India took benefit of our ignorance and silence for the last 40 years therefore it committed terrible water aggression, ignoring our basic water rights. Treaty or no Treaty water rights cannot be usurped.
Copy to; The Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan. Please bring it to the notice of the Chief Justice of Pakistan for help.
Secretary Water and Power, Ministry if Water and Power, Islamabad. The whole responsibility lies on the Secretary
The Federal Minister of Water and Power, Islamabad. Your are kept ignorant but that is no excuse.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister House Islamabad. The same.
The President of Pakistan, President House Islamabad. The same.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, secretariat, Islamabad. Your active role would help. Planning is your field.
Chairman IRSA, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. Water shortage will be your problem, so plan for it
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabani Khar with the request to take up the matter with the Government of India
Minister for Food and Agriculture. Water is vital input of Agriculture so worry about it and fight for it
As an engineer, It is my duty to inform all concerned to save the 180 million people of Pakistan from hunger, famine, death, and devastation. This is a wake up call for defense against the Indian water aggression though very late.
