India’s Designs on Dams
By the Editor

AMID the on-going process of dialogue between the two nuke neighbors of South Asia—India and Pakistan—on diverse issues, the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has set-up a committee to gather facts on the Kishen Ganga Dam, India plans to build over River Jhelum to initiate discourse on the issue with New Delhi.

Talking to newsmen in Lahore on Friday, he said that the issue will be taken up with India in right earnest. The Government is alive to its implications for Pakistan, he remarked.

As is evident from the facts, Pakistan has invariably woken up belatedly to the Indian plans and projects detrimental to its interests due to the rulers’ apathy, inaction and lack of vision about their implications.

To quote, Baghlihar Dam is one such classic example of the past governments’ criminal negligence—to focus its negative impact on Pakistan as well as the Indian violation of the Indus Basin Water Treaty.

The issue was lingering on since 1992 and successive governments failed to push Pakistan’s viewpoint on the project with the emphasis—it vigorously deserved in view of its grave implications for her in the form of its deprivation to the tune of about 8,000 cusec water on a daily basis.

Pakistan is today confronted with the fait accompli that India has presented her primarily due to its own fault.

With this perception, the decision to set-up a committee to collect facts about the Kishen Ganga Dam by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is—of-course a timely action to prepare for the suitable response to the Indian plans.

It’s hoped that the necessary material will be collected—expeditiously—and the issue will be handled efficiently and effectively to restrain India from its hideous plans to usurp Pakistan’s rights over water of River Jhelum—which has already been allocated to her under the Indus Basin Water Treaty.

Let there be no misunderstanding about the Indian designs against Pakistan on the issue of water. It’s obvious that New Delhi wants to starve Pakistan by diverting water of the rivers assigned to her under the Treaty.

It’s reported that India has drawn up plans for as many as a dozen such dams. The situation is thus alarming and Pakistan needs to engage India comprehensively—to avert the impending disaster.

Pakistan ought to examine the design of the Kishen Ganga project in the light of the specifications laid down under the Treaty and will have to act swiftly with determination and perseverance on the basis of the facts of the case.

In fact, it’s a matter of life and death for Pakistan. Hence, there is no room for any more lethargy on this count—in any mode or manner.● 

 —  Mumtaz Hamid Rao
www.MumtazRao.net