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| India-Pakistan |
| Chenab inflow ebbs as India withdraws water from Tawi |
| 2009-03-29 |
| ISLAMABAD: India has dealt another blow to the Punjab’s water interests by establishing the Tawi-Ravi irrigation system some four years back, with New Delhi withdrawing 857 cusecs of water on a daily basis from the river, which is a Chenab tributary. A senior official at the Water and Power Ministry revealed to The News on Friday the withdrawal of water by India would damage the irrigation of crops in Sialkot, Narowal and Shakargarh. Water from Tawi river’s left bank at the Bahu Fort point in Jammu is lifted 31 meters by pumps. Daily water sheets issued by Irsa also jolted authorities concerned as Chenab’s historic flows drastically reduced from 18,800 cusecs to over 10,000 cusecs these days. When contacted, Pakistan’s Indus Waters Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah said he was aware that India had built the irrigation system. Under the treaty, he explained, India could build such schemes to irrigate 1,300,000 acres of land with western rivers’ water. “But under the Indus Waters Treaty, India is bound to inform Pakistan six months before initiating any water scheme or dam on Pakistan’s rivers,” he pointed out. But Irsa and the Punjab irrigation department are perturbed over the decline in Chenab River from historic average flows. Asked about the source of this sensitive information, the official replied that Arshad H Abbasi, director of the planning commission in the recent past and currently working as research fellow with SDPI (Sustainable Development Policy Institute), had informed the environment and water and power ministries through a letter. The Indus System of Rivers comprises three eastern rivers - Sutlej, Bias and Ravi - and as many western rivers - Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, waters of the eastern rivers stand allocated to India and western rivers to Pakistan. However, India interlinked Tawi and Ravi rivers with the Ravi-Tawi Lift Irrigation Project, withdrawing up to 857 cusecs of water daily from Tawi. Under the Indus Waters Treaty, Chenab water was allocated to Pakistan and Tawi is a major left bank tributary of the river, which originates from the lapse of the Kali Kundi glacier and the adjoining area southwest of Bhadarwah in Doda district. The official said Abbasi also asked the government to check the irrigation provision as given in Annexure ìCî of the Indus Waters Treaty. The Ranbir and Partap canal systems were constructed by India before the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty. The agriculture use of water permitted to India from western rivers is 912,477 acres and over and above 642,000 acres of land being irrigated from the western rivers on the effective date ñ April 1, 1960. Abbasi’s letter, a copy of which has been made available to The News, says with permissible withdrawals from Ranbir and Partap canals, India is entitled to water additional irrigated cropped area (ICA) of 70,000 acres from Indus, 150,000 from Jhelum and only 50,000 from Chenab. Thus only 270,000 acres could be irrigated from western rivers but India has developed three major canals after 1960 - the Kashmir canal system, the high canal system in Jammu and the Ravi-Tawi Link irrigation system. New Delhi submitted the justification that since India has not built any conservation storage on western rivers; rather it wastes about 35 million acres feet of water every year. India can develop irrigation by withdrawals from western rivers. Moreover, the Igo-phey canal has been commissioned for irrigation in Leh and Kurbathang canal in Kargil. Some more canals under construction in the Ladakh region would surrender India’s right to build dams on Indus. As per the treaty, only 0.15 million acres feet of water can be used for generating hydroelectric power on Indus and 0.35 MAF for irrigation. With the completion of these canals, India cannot build any dam on Indus. However, at the same time, India initiated major hydropower projects on western rivers, particularly on Chenab, Pakal Dul, Kiru and Kawar, Bursar, Karthoi, Rattle and Shamnot hydropower projects. Three main projects — Baglihar, Dul Hasti and Salal — have already been completed. If the projects, which are in the pipeline, get completed, then it would inflict an irreparable loss on Pakistan’s agriculture. The official, quoting the letter, said Abbasi stressed enhancing the capacity of Pakistan’s Indus Waters Commission and making it digitised so that it could be run on modern lines.“This will help detect any misadventure of India; satellite altimetry technology is widely used now to measure surface water quantity.” The letter also argued that International bodies such as the World Bank ought to help the Indus Waters Commission build trust and avert any serious conflict between the two countries. |
| Posted by:john frum |