Indus Water Commission meeting today: Three years later, a permanent commission meeting is being held between India and Pakistan on the sharing of Indus water. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary has confirmed the meeting. It is noteworthy that after the Pulwama incident in 2019, Indo-Pak relations reached a very low level. Due to this, talks between the two countries were stopped completely on many issues. In this sequence, the meeting of the Indus Water Commission could not be held either. But as the round of talks on water sharing starts from Tuesday, the snow on the relationship between the two countries will start melting slowly. However, the governments of the two countries have been making efforts to normalize relations for the past few weeks. Let us know what is the Indus Water Agreement. Why has the relationship between the two countries become tense due to water sharing. What is true of Pakistan’s claim about water sharing. What is Indus Water Commission
What is the Indus Water Convention
Under this, the tributaries of the Indus River are divided into eastern and western rivers. Sutlej, Beas and Ravi are placed in the East River, while Jhelum, Chenab and Indus are the rivers of the West. Water from Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers went to India, while 80 percent of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab water to Pakistan. Under this agreement, the right to water the western rivers was also given to India. For example, in the area of power generation or agriculture, the right to use the water of rivers was given.
It was proposed to set up a permanent Indus Commission to address any obstacle or problem. The commissioners of the two countries will meet each other from time to time and discuss problems. It has been arranged that if the Commission does not find a solution to the problem then the governments will try to solve it. In addition, there was a provision to seek the help of a neutral expert to find a solution to the disputes. Under this, there is also an option to go to the Court of Arbitration.
According to this treaty, India is allowed to use the waters of Pakistan-controlled rivers for irrigation, transport and power generation. Under this agreement, only 20 percent of the total water of the Indus river can be used by India. India says that it has not fully utilized 20 per cent of its share of water.
The Indus Water Convention gives India the right to irrigate 14 lakh acres of land from the waters of these rivers. India currently generates 3000 MW of electricity from the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, but Indus is said to have the capacity to produce 19000 MW of electricity. In 1987, India stopped work of the Tulbul project on the Jhelum River following Pakistan’s opposition. Pakistan has created many obstacles regarding this.
The World Bank has reached an agreement between the two countries in an international tribunal following a dispute over India’s two hydroelectric projects in the Indus Valley. However, India objected to this, after which the World Bank pulled back, but the World Bank has tried to convince the two countries to settle their differences.
Indus river became the lifeline of more than 30 crore people
The Indus River is a lifeline for India and Pakistan. Over 300 million people live in the vicinity of the Indus River. That is, the Indus River is associated with the lives of more than 30 crore people. 80 percent of the Indus river water is used by Pakistan. The area of the Indus River is spread over an area of about 11 lakh 20 thousand square kilometers. This river originates from Tibet. It joins the Arabian Sea near Karachi and Gujarat. The total length of this river is 2,880 km.
The story behind the Indus Water Treaty
There was a dispute in Punjab and Sindh province over the waters of the Indus River in 1947 before the partition of India-Pakistan before independence. The dispute continued and after independence, engineers from India and Pakistan met and signed a ‘standstill agreement’ on the two major canals coming towards Pakistan, according to which Pakistan continued to receive water. This agreement was in force till 31 March 1948. On 1 April 1948, when the agreement was not in force, India stopped the water of two major canals, this impacted on 17 lakh acres of land in Punjab. However, after a later agreement, India agreed to continue the water supply.
Agreement with China
India and China also have agreements on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers. The Bhakra Barrage of India and many hydroelectric projects get their water from these rivers. Electricity is supplied from all areas of Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab.
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