Talking water

India and Pakistan share rivers and water resources as any two neighbouring countries would do. Overall, the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has managed to arbitrate any serious water conflicts between the two, but off and on there appear disagreements that need resolution. The recently held 117th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission was a positive step forward for the resolution of disputes arising from new hydroelectric projects that India has initiated in the upper riparian areas. Though India and Pakistan have reaffirmed their commitment to implement the IWT, the next meeting of the commission will be fairly significant. The Indus Waters Treaty that is seen as controversial and unfair to Pakistan has been in force for over six decades now. Regular meetings and a willingness to listen to each other has helped this treaty survive for that long. But India has time and again tried to take undue advantage by building new projects that block or reduce the water flow to Pakistan. Take, for example, the Kiru Hydroelectric project over the upstream of Chenab that is already getting reduced levels of water from India.

In addition, there are multiple projects of a relatively small scale that India has undertaken on Western rivers. Pakal Dal and Lower Kalnai are two such projects that are likely to have an adverse impact on the water flow to Pakistan resulting in lower levels of water for cultivation. Then there is also an issue of advance flood-flow information that India must provide according to the provisions of the treaty. This information mechanism worked well for nearly three decades from 1989 to 2018. But then there have been hindrances in the timely dissemination of flood information from India. The failure on India’s part to share such vital information in a timely manner has put Pakistan in a hard situation. The Indus Waters Treaty that both parties signed in 1960 has facilitated meetings that take place alternatively in India and Pakistan annually. But somehow these meetings have not been able to persuade India to desist from implementing its 1,000-megawatt Pakal Dal project. Pakistan decided to invoke Article 9 of the treaty for the resolution of differences through arbitration. Disappointingly, India has been opposing the use of such arbitration and stresses dialogue at the commissioner level.

So far, India has failed to satisfy Pakistan’s concerns and continues work on its projects, while the matter is pending before the commission. Spillways and freeboard of the project have caused serious concerns for Pakistan which is demanding a visit to the site that India has been reluctant to arrange. The next meeting is planned in India for May and that would be the right time to also visit the site. It is a good sign that India has given some indication that it would be willing to arrange a site visit. It must also be stressed that the advance exchange of flood information must be resumed, having been suspended since 2018. This is an issue that should not be politicised as the lives of tens of millions of people depend on such information.