Chennai:
Even if Kashmir issue is resolved between India and Pakistan, the ties between both the neighbours could be watered down by row over Indus water, according to an expert.
Water is now slowly turning to stoke tensions between India and Pakistan after the historic 1960 Indus Water Treaty and the issue waxes and wanes following the political situation in Pakistan, according to former Union secretary of water resources Ramaswamy R Iyer.
Delivering a lecture on India, Pakistan and Water, Iyer who was the initiator and principal draftsman of India’s first National Water Policy in 1987, said the water issue is now being fully politicized and Pakistan army started taking interest in the issue during Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf’s tenure who feared India could use the treaty to flood Pakistan strategically.
Although, Iyer dismissed Pakistan army’s conclusion as mere rhetoric and wondered how can India store or divert waters to the detriment of Pakistan under the watchful eyes of the Indus Commissioner for Pakistan?
Iyer said India has not built any storage, not even the 3.6 million acreage feet permitted by the Treaty, nor does it intend to cause harm to Pakistan by diverting Indus waters.
He said now Pakistan is playing down the water issue since its focus is on ties with America and they don’t want to affect its ties with India over the issue.
He also called for joint studies over the reported reduction of flows in the western rivers and the factors responsible, and the cumulative impact of proposed 33 projects on Jhelum-Chenab and its impact on ecology.
No comments:
Post a Comment