Jammu and Kashmir would get 60 dams to add an extra 3,000 MW of power to starved power grid of the state.
But the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) verdict on Kishenganga hydro project is going to make it a little tougher for J&K and New Delhi to go ahead with the projects without hurting Pakistan’s vital interests.
Experts say that the growing rivalry between India and Pakistan over the three major rivers: Indus, Jehlum and Chenab, flowing from Kashmir could threaten South Asia’s peace. Jammu and Kashmir loses Rs 40000 Cr annually due to Indus Water Treaty (IWT), according to Prof Nisar Ali, a noted Kashmiri economist. Nisar reckons that “the total power generation capacity from Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers is around 20000 Megawatt, but IWT puts us at disadvantage as we cannot build dams on the rivers.” Nisar has also written on the treaty and its effects on the economy of the region for decades. He has also advised J&K to seek compensation from India. “It is an international treaty which India is following, but it should pay damages J&K suffers economically because of it,” said Nisar.
Indus Watery Treaty was inked in 1960 and has survived three major wars between India and Pakistan. The treaty lays down details of how much water each side should use. The treaty, however, revolves around the tributaries that flow from Kashmirto form Indus – the lifeline of Pakistan. Nisar says Pakistan was preemptive after what happened on Bhaglihar, but the half- built dam remains source of hostility. Pakistan went to the International Court of Arbitration for the first time to challenge the construction of Baghlihar and India had to accept the settlement.
Discussing Baghlihar, another expert Shakeel Qalander says that apart from Kashmir, now Pakistan is also suffering and the water scarcity is a “water bomb” in South Asia. Shakeel said “Kashmir is the biggest loser because of the treaty. Pakistan should have signed a better deal. It is their problem to think about water discharge and its economic effects.”
United States senate has similar observations regarding the growing water dispute between the two nuclear armed nations. A report published last year stated that “the cumulative effect of [many dam] projects could give India the ability to store enough water to limit the supply to Pakistan at crucial moments in the growing seasons. Dams are a source of “significant bilateral tension”.
For Kashmir the problem is multi-dimensional. Growing hostility between India and Pakistan, environmental cost and no benefits from projects where India invests billions to fulfill its growing energy needs is not helping the water-rich state.
After the International Court of Arbitration, Hague gave its verdict over Kishenganga river stating that “the race to complete hydropower projects will only intensify on either side of Kashmir. The dam build in this part of Kashmir will divert river through a 22 km mountain tunnel to turbines. Pakistan argues that will lessen the water and will affect not only its 960 MW upcoming power project but also over 6 lakh farmers in its territory”.
Last September, ICA asked India to suspend work on the project, but after last Monday’s judgment it is likely that tension will only simmer. India is likely to finish the project in 2016.
A Pakistani water expert in New Delhi recently said, “Only thing which can take Pakistan in direct confrontation with India are the violations of IWT by New Delhi.”
Kashmir is not the loser, anybody will tell you how much water flows in chenab which flows through Jammu , it is the biggest potential river so Jammu, people are losing at the expense of Pakistan not the valley… So Indian GOVT should pay jammu people the compensation. Jehlum has not the perinial capacity flow as compared to Chenab…About the Jammu region only Jammu Chamber of Commerce based in jammu will speak ….
we will construct more and more dams nobody cares about pakistan 🙂
You will still starve Indian,look around you,90% of your people go to bed hungry under a tree or a bridge.We don't expect India to be fair,we know the mentality,just look at the Kashmiris.And by the way,don't be an A***S***S***
but acc to BISP 46% people in pakistan live below poverty line and only 6% farmers have 3 meals a day after we make more dams ur situation will worsen 🙂
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"Prof Nisar Ali", the treaty, the geography, his math and lost pair of nuts …
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Kashmir looses or loses? Please pay attention.
J&K has been the worst struck by the IWT. On all the three Western rivers j&k is an upper riparian but due to the vested interests of both India & Pakistan she has to be a bait always. The debacle between these two neighbouring countries started during the time when the World was simmering with cold war and both USA & former USSR were highly involved to include more & more allies to their folds. In this situation the World Bank raised to the scene, through the writings of David E.Lilienthal, which was not at all an utter coincidence. It was a well thought out strategic plan on the part of USA, under the containment policy, to scuttle the growing influence of the communist bloc, especially in India because of the earlier US policies to support Pakistan which India thought contrary to her interests. Also India was the only country in this part of the world which USA thought, would be a deterrent to the growing communist China. Pakistan was already an American ally. In order to
win India's confidence she has to show something that India may think yeah, America is really concerned about India;s interests. So this whole plan was crafted and in this process the interests of J&K got smashed ruthlessly, without even considering that it is a disputed territory between the two countries and at the same time is under the consideration of the United Nations.
Actually, according to how affairs are conducted in India, each state is compensated when its resources are used out of state. So any electricity generated in Kashmir, where the dams are located, will first benefit the Kashmiris. Any overflow electricity that KSEB Kashmir State Electricity Board chooses to sell to the rest of the grid will be compensated as is standard practice. So the issue that Kashmiris have is not with India, but with Pakistan. When Pakistan objects to the dams, they are objecting to Kashmiris getting any benefit from their own rivers.
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