A water dispute has become the latest flashpoint in India-Pakistan relations already spiraling downhill since the blast in the Indian embassy in Kabul.
NEW DELHI: A water dispute has become the latest flashpoint in India-Pakistan relations already spiraling downhill since the blast in the Indian embassy in Kabul.
On Tuesday, Pakistan high commissioner Shahid Malik met foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to formally protest the reduction in release of water from the Chenab river. Officials in Islamabad dubbed it a “gross violation” of the Indus Water Treaty.
Islamabad claimed India reduced the water flow to fill up the Baglihar dam in Kashmir, leading to a loss of livelihood for Pakistani farmers.
Menon, acknowledging the Pakistani complaint, said India had proposed a meeting of the Indus Water Commission to assess Pakistani claims about reduction in the Chenab flow.
He explained that Chenab’s water level was low this year compared to last year due to insufficient rain. The situation has already created a drought-like situation in Jammu, he said.
Menon said Pakistan had been already informed of the impending reduction in water levels as filling of the Baglihar dam was in progress. The level has now returned to normal.
However, he disputed the figures forwarded by Pakistan. “We have proposed a meeting of two Indus water commissioners to sort out these figures,” he said.
Menon said the water flow had resumed to normal as filling of Baglihar was now complete. “We have explained the situation to the Pakistan high commissioner. We are still to reconcile with the figures. The main problem is there was a lean period this year,” he explained.
Three units of the Baglihar power project are expected to generate electricity from next week in power-starved Kashmir. India says the reservoir has been filled with 32.56 million cubic metres of water as recommended by World Bank.
Reports from Pakistan suggest that due to the filling of the dam their water levels have gone down to 22,000 cusecs. Pakistan’s Indus commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah, who talked to his Indian counterpart G Aringanathan, said while India reserved the right to fill the dam, Pakistan should receive 55,000 cusecs of water at its head in Marala.
Indian officials stressed that under the provision of the Indus Water Treaty, India had the right to fill the reservoir between June 26 and August 31. “There is no bar on the content of water,” a senior official said.
g_seema@dnaindia.net
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