Water wars: Wullar Barrage set to figure in Pak-India talks
India is trying to navigate its way out of a debate with Pakistan over the construction of Wullar Barrage, also known as the Tulbul Project, while Pakistan wants to take the issue up when foreign ministers of both nations meet in Islamabad next month, sources said.
“India is trying to evade the topic of Wullar Barrage which would divert water from River Jhelum so that its construction can begin without intensive deliberations with Pakistan.” The official added Pakistani authorities decided in a recent meeting held at the Foreign Office to raise strong objections during the upcoming bilateral talks.
The two sides have already held secretary-level talks in Islamabad on May 12-13, 2011 with follow-up deliberations held in New Delhi on March 27-28 this year. The secretaries reiterated their commitment to increase cooperation, but no major breakthrough was made over the construction of the barrage.
Some media reports quoted Indian officials as saying they prefer to seek international arbitration to resolve the nearly two-decade long dispute.
When asked to comment on India’s resistance to engage in bilateral talks with Pakistan, an official from the Ministry of Water and Power said “Pakistan will also prefer to go to an international court of arbitration if the two sides fail to reach an amicable settlement and India tries to go ahead with the project.”
Pakistan maintains the barrage is in violation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). “India has the Wullar Lake and does not need additional water storage,” said an official.
Under the treaty, Pakistan is entitled to water from the three Western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Pakistan maintains the construction of Wullar Barrage will convert the natural lake into a man-made storage with a capacity of 0.324 million acre feet (MAF) and adversely affect the flow of water into the country.
India, on the other hand, maintains certain amendments in the design and structure of the barrage can address Pakistan’s reservations. In the earlier rounds of talks, India has said it has the right to build the barrage under the IWT and that the navigation project will only be used to transport water and not as a storage facility.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2012.
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@Vikas: Hurting Pakistan ain't going to help India! Hey, man, talk peace. No one should act smart.
@Pure Insanity: " India is buidling dams to produce electricity and these dams do not stop/divert the flow of water." Please improve your research as Wular Lake, for example, is used to store water, which is restricted under the Indus Basin Treaty (IWT). For generation of hydroelectric power India can use rivulets like Erin, Madhumati and Vishev. But massive storage of water, such as, at the Wular Lake, is a clear violation of the IWT. India is constructing a number of dams thus restricting the flow of water, especially of Chenab and Jhelum, causing severe losses to Pakistan’s agriculture and economy.
@Vikas: You are clearly a reflection of the India mindset and thanks for being candid. But you are talking war, not peace. If India were to stop Pakistan's water, Pakistan is not silly to bomb the dams you have suggested using for stopping flow of water to Pakistan. Pakistan can use international fora for redressing its grievances. But it might be developing a military strategy to cope with such an eventuality, which would certainly lead to a needless Indo-Pak water war. This is exactly what needs to be preempted for the cause of peace. If Pakistan is driven to desperation and if its survival is threatened, it might go to any length to secure its existence. Therefore, brinkmanship foolhardy policy that you are advocating is a dangerous dogma, which can lead to the mutual destruction of both India and Pakistan. However, this is not going to happen as saner voices shall prevail in India and Pakistan.
Why Pakistan can't build their own dam?
India has been playing the water card as part of its coercive diplomacy to force Pakistan to accept the resolution of the Kashmir dispute on India’s terms. And, Musharraf's bending backward to India on the Kashmir issue has caused New Delhi to become bellicose and to consider a limited conventional war to punish Pakistan and it does not fear Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, as Pakistan would only use them in extraordinary circumstances, such as, if its existence is threatened. So Pakistan must build dams, wherever feasible to minimize the threat of India’s denial of waters to Pakistan.
@Tony Singh: It is doubtful if Pakistan as a state and if its Government is involved in politically motivated violence against India, especially in the Mumbai massacre, for which India has not provided concrete evidence, which Pakistan has been demanding all along. This remains an unending controversy and as such even further discussion on this issue is going to be useless. Pakistan is itself beset with non-state actor’s political violence, some of which it is suspected receives India’s support and encouragement. Both countries need to cooperate with each other without preconditions in the best interest of peace in the subcontinent. Pakistan has put its most important issue, Kashmir, on a back burner to induce India to cooperate without preconditions. Now it is India’s turn to reciprocate.
We need to build more dams on rivers flowing into Pakistan. Next time if they act smart, we will stop water flow. They will then come begging. Alternatively, they can bomb and break the dam. But then that will cause flood havoc in Pakistan. We are slowly putting Pakistan between a rock and a hard surface.
@Just Manners: @M.Ahmer Ali: Please do some research. If India was building dams to divert water you may be within your rights to criticize India and take action but that hasnt been the case in the past otherwise Pakistan would be going gaga on all international forums about it. India is buidling dams to produce electricity and these dams do not stop/divert the flow of water. In cases where dams have been built to divert water, its within the Indus Water treaty on the tributaries that are for India to use. This specific case requires scrutiny from people who know the Indus Water Treaty as what effect the dam will have on the water flow.
Please point out one study (and I dont mean some mickey mouse study by Zaid Hamid and co.) where they conclude that India is violating the Indus Water Treaty. Details about how much water was guarenteed and how much extra water India is taking and how its violating the treaty etc etc. When a flood happened in Pakistan it was the same brigade that was blaming India for it as well as when there was a drought. If India was so organized in causing such damage and controlling its water resources we would have solved our water problems years back.
If Pakistan thinks the Indus Water Treaty is unfair cause the situation on the ground has changed then it needs to say that and try to negotiate through an international intermediary. Untill then India isnt doing anything illegal and more importantly is following terms Pakistan itself has agreed to. Specific violations must be discussed but to put everything in one bucket without any study by a neutral source is pointless.
@Just Manners: pakistan wants Indian corporation then it should behave like a good neighbour If You send your "strategic assets" to terrorise Indians. what do expect of Indians? Case in point ? How about punishing masterminds of Mumbai attack?
What can Pakistan do when India is unyielding about building dams on rivers the flow of which is entitled for Pakistan under the Indus Basin Treaty? The Wullar Barrage is not the only issue. The other important issues include Baglihar dam, the Kishanganga dam, and the Nimo Bazgo Dam and Chutak hydroelectric plant! Pakistan can approach the World Bank and can refer the case for international arbitration but that would only delay the resolution of these conflicts and India would carry on with the disputed projects, while Pakistan verbally complains without any success! There is no way Pakistan stop India, period! Water wars are likely in the future as India’s Prime Minister, Vajpayee during the Indo-Pakistan standoff threatened to walk away from the Indus Basin Treaty. Further, a former High Commissioner to Pakistan said: "Should we not consider measures to deprive the Pakistanis of the water they need to quench their thirst and grow their crops? Should we not seriously consider whether it is necessary for us to adhere to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty... extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary responses" (The Hindustan Times, December 23). If India does deprive Pakistan of its rightful share of waters under the Treaty and drives Pakistan high and dry, Pakistan’s hitherto strategy of “defense-offense” that is responding to offense by defense would be rendered useless, as stopping of waters would be a new form of offense for which Pakistan does not seem to have prepared a full-fledged strategy or has it?
"ISLAMABAD: Locked in a decades-long battle over water flows, Pakistan and India continue to play cat and mouse over the construction of dams and barrages." Despite all conflicts this is the harsh reality that India is constructing dams and barrages on every disputed place and Pakistani government is converting dams' construction matters into political matters. The most especially importantly Indian leaders are trying their best and utmost to waste time and money on the useless negotiations with Pakistani leaders on any important issues especially Kashmir and water issues and are constructing more and more dams and Pakistani leaders are seeing all this only by verbal remonstrations..........