Deviation by India from Indus Waters Treaty worrisome: Vawda

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda has said that Indus Waters Treaty is an instrument of peace not only between Pakistan and India but in the region.

If India does not fulfil its obligations, the Treaty provides a complete mechanism to get justice for Pakistan. Moreover, he said the government of Pakistan is vigilant and will exercise all options given in the Treaty.

In a statement here on Monday, he said that according to Article XII, neither India nor Pakistan can unilaterally abrogate the Treaty unless there is a modified and duly ratified treaty between the two countries. Pakistan has deep concern about overall attitude of India towards implementation of the Indus Treaty. “Our Commissioner is the regular channel of communication with India under the Treaty,” he said.

He has conveyed serious concerns to the Indian Commissioner. As per the Indus Water Treaty, India is obliged to provide the information of extraordinary floods.

The News International in its edition of August 15, 2019 already published its story with headline, ‘India making Indus Water Treaty ineffective’. As the tension on held Kashmir between the two nuclear states is escalating with every passing day, New Delhi has initiated water war and its attempts to circumvent Indus Water Treaty 1960 are also becoming visible.

In the said story, it was unfolded that Pakistan Commission of Indus Water (PCIW) has also sensitised Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) about Indian attempts to make ineffective the Indus Water Treaty signed between two sates---Pakistan, India and brokered by World Bank in 1960. The Indus Water Treaty ensures the water rights of lower riparian country ---Pakistan and if it is not implemented by upper riparian-- India, it may lead to war between the two nuclear states endangering the peace of the whole world.

Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Water, Syed Mehar Ali Shah had confirmed the development to The News saying that despite Pakistan’s repeated requests, Indian side has not supplied the advanced flood information to Pakistan which was supposed to be supplied from 1st July to 10th October in accordance with the agreement of 1989 made by the Pakistani and Indian Commissioners.

Mr Shah shared that Pakistan has been making repeated requests to India on various aspects under the Treaty, which has been stalled by India since long. He said that Pakistan’s request to India for Special Tour of Inspection of Kishenganga hydroelectric plant and other projects in Jhelum basin remained stalled since 2014 despite a series of correspondence. He clarified that Indian side while denying Pakistan its right to conduct Special Tour of Inspection, had been referring all along to the adverse weather conditions or similar constraints.

He also stated that the General Tour of Inspection was arranged by India for Pakistan’s delegation on its side in February this year, which was again inordinately delayed, counting from Pakistan’s requests started since 2014. Mr Shah also said that the matter of non-provision of advanced flood information by India was brought in the knowledge of Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to take up with the Indian government through regular diplomatic channel.

Mr Shah shared that the implementation of the Indus Water Treaty 1960 can be established if both India and Pakistan are fulfilling their obligations and similarly the rights enshrined the two states remain safeguarded in true letter and spirit.

Whenever the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty gets circumvented or delayed for one or the other reasons, the Treaty gets stressed which will have serious implications.

“In the wake of recent denial of India to supply advanced information to Pakistan apropos 1989 agreement, I note the matter as a deep concern especially in the backdrop of not permitting Pakistan to visit Kishenganga dam as per the right given to both the countries under Article VIII (4) (d) and the other fundamental issues which are pending resolution.”

“The true implementation of Indus Water Treaty is the lifeline for Pakistan; in case it is not implemented, it will have direct implication on Pakistan’s food security and agrarian economy would consequently suffer which is not acceptable at any cost.”

He mentioned that it is in the benefit of both the countries to implement the provisions of the Treaty in true letter and spirit as water is too sensitive a subject on which politics should not come into play, particularly when both the countries had resolved the matter of water sharing in terms of signing of the Indus Water Treaty in 1960. In case the Treaty implementation remained marred, the option of taking next course of action cannot be ruled out.

However, in the statement of Faisal Vawda issued here on Monday also mentions about the present situation of flooding in the country at 12:00pm on Monday is as below according to which there is no location where rivers are in high flood.

Dams levels & major rivers discharge (in cusecs) situation at 1200 PST on August 19, 2019.

(Inflow/Outflow=Flood level)

1. Indus at Tarbela: Level=1549.45 feet, 211000/208800= Normal

2. Indus at Kalabagh: 268363/260363=Low

3. Indus at Chashma: 278106/257556= Low

4. Indus at Taunsa: 367452/357252= Low

5. Indus at Guddu: 409179/368529= Medium

6. Indus at Sukkur: 353287/294162= Low

7. Kabul at Nowshera: 48200= Low

8. Jhelum at Mangla: Level=1213.85 feet, 48000/10715=Normal

9. Chenab at Marala=98601/81201= Normal

10. Chenab at Khanki=101195/93600= Normal

11. Chenab at Qadirabad=99681/91341= Normal

12. Chenab at Trimmu: 90970/78170=Normal

13. Ravi at Jassar: 29280=Normal

14. Sutlej at G S Wala: 27274=Normal

15. Palku Nalah at Wazirabad: 3100=Medium

HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL SITUATION:

According to latest meteorological conditions, most parts of the country are cloudless; however a cloud cell is present over Peshawar division, moving eastward. No significant weather is expected in most region of country for next six hours.

PMD Radars Network is exposing light rain in upper catchment areas of Beas, Ravi and Chenab.

River Sutlej at G S Wala is in rising trend.