ISLAMABAD – Today a crucial meeting to consider interference of flows of River Chenab at Marala head works in Pakistan in violation of Indus Water Treaty by India was held in the Ministry of Water & Power.
Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Water (PCIW) gave a detailed presentation on the issue and informed that he had already taken up the issue with his Indian counterpart. This was followed by a comprehensive discussion.
The members were apprised that the initial filling of dead storage of Baglihar Plant in AJ&K on river Chenab resulted in to substantial reduction of water at Marala. This has caused massive agricultural loss to vast areas of Marala command canals. This has also resulted in early depletion of Mangla dam so as to mitigate some of the adverse affects on certain canals. The overall loss to the national economy (loss of water, damage to agricultural crops, over consumption of energy for running tube wells, etc) had thus been colossal which are being assessed by Government of Punjab.
The Minister for Water and Power and the participants took serious note of reduction of water in river Chenab at the very crucial time of maturing of crops and its impact on the coming rabi crops and decided to lodge a strong protest with India against the violation.
The Minister for Water and Power directed the concerned quarters to take necessary action as to mitigate the loss and also take up the issue under the Treaty provisions at relevant fora.
Pakistan Commissioner was directed to undertake tour of inspection and hold formal discussions with the Indian Commissioner. The matter is also being taken up at diplomatic level for gross violation of the Treaty and the loss of agriculture to Pakistan.
The chairmanship of Minister for Water & Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf was present. The meeting was attended by senior officers of Ministry of Water & Power, Foreign Office PCIW, Law & Justice, WAPDA, Irrigation Department, Punjab and the related institutions. The meeting was apprised that India had committed a blatant and flagrant violation of the Indus Water Treaty by reducing Chenab flows to Pakistan and continuing to fill up the dead shortage of Baglihar HPP beyond August 31, 2008. Under the treaty, India cannot reduce the flow in Chenab River below 55,000 cusecs between 21st June to August 31, 2008 where as Pakistan had been receiving as low as a discharge of 20,000 cusecs during August /September 2008.