The Punjab Water Council has accused the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) of violating the Indus Basin Water Treaty 1960 by not operating the perennial Jhelum Link Canal built to provide water to Multan and Bahawalpur Divisions as a replacement of three eastern rivers - Ravi, Sutlej and Biaas.
Talking to Business Recorder, founder PWC Farooque Bajwa said government of Pakistan signed Indus Basin Water Treaty 1960 with India under which water of Rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was guaranteed to Pakistan, while India was allowed to retain water of Rivers Ravi, Biaas and Sutlej which used to irrigate vast tracks of lands of Southern Punjab including Jhang, T.T. Singh, Khanewal, Vehari, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Multan Lodharan and Bahawalpur.
He said that under the Treaty in addition to construction of Tarbela Dam on river Indus and Mangla Dam on river Jhelum to compensate for surrendered water, Ravi, Biaas and Sutlej rivers, seven link canals were constructed for inter river shift of water. These were Rasool-Qadirabad, Qadirabad-Balloki, Balloki-Sulemanki, Chashma-Jhelum, Trimu-Sidhnai, Sidhnai-Mailsi and Taunsa-Panjnadh Links Canals.
Bajwa argued that 21700 cusecs CJ Link canal was built and operated under the Indus Basin Water Treaty, which was signed by the government of Pakistan against the wishes of people of Punjab province to provide 4.4 million acre feet (MAF) water from Tarbela dam as replacement of river Sutlej waters for southern Punjab.
He said the CJ Link Canal was constructed to shift about 20,000 cusecs water from river Indus to Trimmu headworks on river Chenab to release 57000 cusecs water in Rangpur canal, Havelian canal, Sindhnai canal, Lower Pakpattan canal, Lower Mailsi and Lower Bahawalpur Canal. "The area under command of these canals produce more than 40 percent of the total Punjab cotton which is backbone of Pakistan's economy', he added.
Bajwa lamented that as far Punjab province was concerned, it was not only India that had violated Indus Water Treaty by building Baglihar dam on river Chenab and blocking Pakistan's precious water, but Irsa also as it is not releasing water in the CJ link canal as envisaged under the Treaty.
Commenting on PWC contentions, Punjab Irrigation department consultant M.H. Siddiqui who interacts with Irsa daily for fortnightly indenting of water requirements of the province said," Since Pakistan was given exclusive rights over the water of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, Irsa is meeting water requirements of the southern Punjab districts from the water flows of Chenab and Jhelum." "Water in CJ link canal is only released from river Indus when there is a shortage of water in these two rivers," he added
It may be mentioned that there are serious differences and misgivings between Punjab and Sindh provinces over the usage of nation's water resources. They are accusing each other of misreporting of water data, stealing and cheating.
Sindh claims that by virtue of its name and historical water rights of the province, Indus belongs exclusively to it and operation of Chashma-Jehlum (CJ) tantamount to theft, especially when transferred at the cost irrigation needs of Sindh. It may be further added that at the time of partition, all water heads of rivers flowing in Pakistan went to India, thus seriously affecting the just distribution of water between the two countries. After hectic negotiations, the Indus Basin Water Treaty was signed between Pakistan and India in 1960, in which the World Bank had been an intermediary.
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