Why Has India Stopped The Flow Of Ravi Water To Pakistan? Lets Deep Dive

After a long, long wait, the completion of the Shahpurkandi dam on the river Ravi in Punjab, bordering Jammu and Kashmir, has been announced. As a result, the flow of water from the Ravi river into Pakistan has reportedly been halted by New Delhi.

According to media reports, India's strategic move in water management will result in the retention of as many as 1,150 cusecs of water that was previously directed to Pakistan. Furthermore, this water will now be utilized in Jammu and Kashmir for agricultural purposes. A closer examination is taken at the significance of the Shahpurkandi dam and its relation to the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.

All about the Shahpurkandi dam

The Shahpurkandi dam, which has been in the works for a long time, has a history dating back to a 1979 agreement between Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Sheikh Abdullah of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir respectively. It was proposed to build the Ranjit Sagar (Thein) Dam on the Ravi river, with a second dam planned downstream at Shahpur Kandi in Punjab's Gurdaspur district to optimize water utilization.

The foundation stone for this project was laid by former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 1995. However, due to disputes between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, the project was suspended. In 2018, the Centre intervened, designating it a national project, and an agreement was signed between the governments of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to complete the Shahpurkandi dam within three years.

Progress on the project was slow but has finally been completed, according to officials from the Jal Shakti Ministry. The dam now stands at a height of 5.5 meters and is part of a multi-purpose river valley project that includes two hydel power projects with a total installed capacity of 206 MW, expected to be finished by 2025.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh emphasized the importance of the Shahpurkandi dam project, stating that PM Modi prioritized it due to its potential to irrigate thousands of acres of agricultural land in Jammu and Kashmir.

The dam's significance lies in its benefits to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. It will irrigate 32,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Kandi areas along the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Samba and Kathua districts. With the dam operational, Jammu and Kashmir will receive at least 1,150 cusecs of water previously allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir will receive 20 percent of the hydel power generated from the dam.

Indus Waters Treaty, explained

According to the Indus Waters Treaty, New Delhi is granted exclusive rights over the waters of the rivers - Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi - amounting to 33 million acre-feet (MAF) annually. Conversely, Islamabad has control over the waters of the western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, Chenab - totaling 135 MAF.

The treaty, signed in 1960 by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan president Ayub Khan, with the World Bank being a signatory, stipulates that India can utilize the water from the rivers. However, restrictions are imposed on building storage systems on the western rivers. Nevertheless, it grants India the right to generate hydroelectricity using the western rivers, with specifications for design and operation in place. Additionally, Pakistan retains the right to object to the design of Indian projects.

Since the treaty's signing, one of India's major grievances has been the prohibition on building storage systems on the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, classified as western rivers. Under exceptional circumstances, such systems can be constructed per the treaty, but India alleges that any such attempts are consistently obstructed by Pakistan. Complicating matters is the fact that these rivers flow through Jammu and Kashmir, an unresolved issue between India and Pakistan.

Interestingly, in January last year, a notice was issued by India to Pakistan for the modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The notice was transmitted through respective commissioners for Indus waters because Islamabad had declined discussions to resolve the issue of India's Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects for the past five years, despite New Delhi's efforts, sources informed NDTV.