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India plans to ruin Pak agriculture
To build seven hydropower
projects on Chenab river
By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: India has come up with an
odious plan to construct at least seven more hydropower projects on
the Chenab river to generate 3,270 MW electricity, which if
constructed with its ulterior motives (in violation of the Indus
Waters Treaty), will not only ruin Pakistan’s agricultural but also
jeopardize defence of the country.
A senior government official confided
to The News that India has made a plan to build seven more
hydropower projects on the Chenab river, which is one of the main
water resources of the country. India has already completed the
Salal hydropower project on the Chenab river with 690 MW power
generation capacity, which has been operational since 1987.
India is currently in a process of
completing two hydropower projects — 900 MW Baglihar and 780 MW Dul
Hasti — on the same river. According to the document available with
this correspondent, India has planned to build seven more hydropower
projects on the Chenab river and its tributaries, which include
Gypsa hydropower project with 225 MW, Kirthai 400 MW, Naunat 400 MW,
Bursar 275 MW, Pakwal Dul 375 MW, Ratle 340 MW, and Sawalkot to
generate 1200 MW hydel power.
"The projects are 10 in numbers,
which will generate 5,585 MW hydel power," says the document. Under
the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the Chenab is Pakistan’s river and
India cannot divert its water for power generation under the treaty.
The Chenab is playing a pivotal role for the agriculture production
in the Punjab. The official said that in case India manages to
materialise this plan with its ulterior motives, Pakistan’s defence
in Sialkot area and agriculture of the country would be destroyed.
When asked what would be the impact
of Salal, Dul Hasti and Baglihar projects after their completion on
Pakistan’s agriculture as per "faulty designs", he said India would
have the capacity to control the water and can stop water for 28
days at Headmarala, Sialkot, from where the two most strategic
canals come out would get dried and the defence of Sialkot would be
weakened as the said two canals had been constructed with the aim to
strengthen the country’s defence. The two canals also play an
important role in irrigating the major part of central Punjab.
"The severity of the issue can be
gauged from the fact that if the seven more hydropower projects were
materialised in violation of the treaty, the Punjab will be dried
and the whole irrigation will get destroyed."
When contacted on this very alarming
issue, Syed Jamaat Ali Shah, Commissioner of Pakistan’s Commission
of Indus Water, said if India constructs the projects as per the
Indus Waters Treaty, supplies of water to Pakistan will not be
affected and if India mal-operates the projects, then it can create
problems.
He said Pakistan would not allow
India to construct any project with objectionable design on
Pakistan’s rivers. He said that government was not allowing India to
construct Baglihar with existing design under which it wants to make
gate like structures and construction of pond will give the capacity
to India to control the supplies of water. He said under the treaty
India can make project, but on the run of the river and government
is too much vigilant on this very important issue and is fighting
its case in the court of Neutral Expert.
About the future seven projects, he
said Pakistan is vigilant and will also keep a vigilant eye on the
design of the said projects and would not allow India to go with
these projects with designs, in violation of Indus Waters Treaty.
However, Hamil Malhi, President of
National Water Council told The News that in case India builds the
projects with designs in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, then
it will not be less than declaration of an open war, which New Dehli
cannot afford.
He said Pakistan had successfully
forced India to stop construction of the Wullar barrage and GoP is
now fighting against the construction of Baglihar hydropower
project, which India is constructing with an illegal and
objectionable design. He said the government would not allow India
at any cost to construct seven new projects with designs in
violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
When asked if India manages to build
the said projects with its interior motives, then what will be the
impact, Malhi said the building of these projects would badly
affects Pakistan’s agriculture.
When contacted, Major-General Shaukat
Sultan, military spokesman said the Foreign Office is the right
platform to know what has been planned at the government level for
ensuring water in canals which come out from Headmarala to make
Pakistan’ defence strengthened in case India stops the water at
Headmarala. However when contacted Foreign Office spokesperson
Tasneem Aslam said she would come up with proper reply after getting
briefing on this particular issue.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/apr20...main/main3.htm |
