Pakistan may face food crisis with 4 million acres of agriculture land in Punjab expected to become barren due to reduction in water inflow from River Chenab due to construction of Baghlihar dam by India.
Ibrahim Mughal, Chairman of Agri-forum, told Business Recorder here on Saturday that due to the construction of Baghlihar dam by India on the River Chenab the water inflow in Upper Chenab Canal and Lower Chenab Canal has been reduced by 18 percent, from 55000 cusecs to 8000-10000 cusecs, that would negatively impact 4 million acres of farm land in Punjab.
Baghlihar dam is a run-of-the river Indian project on the river Chenab in the southern district of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The first phase of the construction was completed in 2004 while the entire project was completed in 2008.
Chenab River provides water to 21 canals and irrigates about 7 million acres of agriculture land in Pakistan Punjab. The average annual flow of waters in the eastern rivers is estimated at around 33 million acre-feet (MAF) whereas it is 135 MAF in the western rivers.
When Baghlihar construction began in 1999, Pakistan complained that it was violative of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. The Indus System of Rivers comprises three western rivers--the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab--and three eastern rivers--the Sutlej, the Beas and Ravi. The Treaty gives India exclusive use of all waters of the eastern rivers and their tributaries before the point where the rivers enter Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has exclusive use of the western rivers. Pakistan also received one-time financial compensation for the loss of water from the eastern rivers. But, according to the Treaty, India has the right to establish river-run power projects with limited reservoir capacity and flow control needed for feasible power generation. In 2005, Pakistan brought the matter before the World Bank, which is a signatory of the Treaty. But the World Bank rejected Pakistan's objections regarding the height of spillway, and announced them up to the engineering standards of that time.
When asked about the recent visit to Pakistan of Ranghanathan, Indus Water Commissioner of India, the official said that according to the Indus Water Treaty, both countries, India and Pakistan, have to arrange a 'general tour of inspection' at least once every five years in each other's country. So, Ranghanathan was here just to have a general tour of Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty.
"We have not talked about water issues associated with Chenab as we believe that there is nothing to worry about. Had there been any shortage of water, the Irrigation Department would have informed us," Shahzad Memon, Pakistan's Indus Water Commissioner, told this scribe.
"We should have gone to the World Bank earlier than 2005. At that time, the first phase of the construction of Baghlihar dam had been completed. Once it was a fait accompli, no arbitrator would have decided in our favour. Delay was the main reason why Pakistan's claims of height and gated control of spillways were rejected," Memon added.
When Business Recorder contacted a senior official of Punjab Irrigation Department, he said, "First of all, it is the responsibility of Indus Water Commission to check inflow of water in the canals which irrigate agriculture land through proper monitoring. Secondly, it is absolutely right that India has started establishing dams like Kishanganga hydropower project on Jhelum river while it has already constructed Baghlihar Dam on Chenab river. Pakistan should try hard to suspend construction of Kishanganga dam, otherwise Pakistan may suffer shortage of water in Jhelum river".
Jamat Ali Shah, former Indus Water Commissioner of Pakistan, said: "India has established three major dams, namely Dulhasti Dam, Baghlihar Dam, and Salal Dam, on Chenab, three major dams on Jhelum namely Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project, Uri-1 and Uri-2, and two middle-sized dams on Indus river that are under-construction namely Nimobazgo Dam and Chucak Dam having power generation capacity of 45 MW each".
This scribe contacted several analysts who blamed government policies as major impediment to construction of dams on Pakistan side of the rivers. India, in contrast, has investment friendly policies accounting for their success in building dams. Additionally Pakistan has been extremely lax in taking Indian violations of the Indus Treaty on time.
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