Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday, February 21 claimed that the Modi government has decided to not share unused water of Beas, Ravi and Sutlej rivers with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. The minister failed to, however, mention that the current government reportedly took a similar stand after the Uri attack. Additionally, Pakistan has asserted that the move will not really harm them as it will not violate the Indus Water Treaty.
In a tweet, Gadkari noted:
Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Sri @narendramodi ji, Our Govt. has decided to stop our share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. We will divert water from Eastern rivers and supply it to our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) February 21, 2019
In another tweet, he underlined how the government will not allow “our share of water” to flow into Pakistan:
The construction of dam has started at Shahpur- Kandi on Ravi river. Moreover, UJH project will store our share of water for use in J&K and the balance water will flow from 2nd Ravi-BEAS Link to provide water to other basin states.
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) February 21, 2019
In a major embarrassment for the government, soon after Gadkari made the statement, ADG Water Resource Neeta Prasad clarified that this was not a new decision and the minister was simply “reiterating what he has always said,” reported ANI.
Neeta Prasad, ADG Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation: He (Nitin Gadkari) is talking about diverting India’s share of Indus water which was going to Pakistan – and he has always been saying this as you all know. https://t.co/gNFCTawEEI
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019
As per the Indus Water Treaty, India has rights over the eastern rivers Beas, Ravi and the Sutlej. At present, the unutilised waters from these three rivers flow into Pakistan as India is an upper riparian state. As per the treaty, Pakistan has rights over water from the western rivers of Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. After the construction of the dam on the Ravi in Punjab is completed, the water from the eastern rivers going waste downstream to Pakistan will stop, reported The Telegraph.
The Modi government will not divert water from the three western rivers though there is a huge demand to stop it as revenge. Moreover, the government might find itself in a difficult spot if it violates the Indus Water Treaty, The Telegraph reported. If India stops the water from the western rivers to Pakistan, China might decide to divert water of the Brahmaputra taking Pakistan’s side.
“Pakistan Not Concerned”
Reacting to Gadkari’s statement, Pakistan said that they are not concerned if India takes the stand, Dawn said in a report. “We have neither concern nor objection if India diverts water of eastern rivers and supplies it to its people or uses it for other purposes, as the IWT (Indus Waters Treaty) allows it do so,” secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources Khawaja Shumail told Dawn on Thursday evening.
Explaining Gadkari’s tweet, Shumail said, “Actually India wants to construct Shahpurkandi dam at the Ravi basin. This project is abandoned since 1995. Now they (India) want to construct this in a bid to use its own share of water that goes unutilised and finally flows to Pakistan. So if they want to use this whether through storing it through the construction of this dam or any other way for their people, they can do as we have nothing to do with it,”reported Dawn.
Shumail further asserted that Pakistan will protest only if the water of Chenab, Indus Jhelum are diverted by the Modi government.
Also read: Did PM Modi Continue to Shoot a Film And Address a Rally After Pulwama Attack?