India Violated treaty in Baglihar Dam Case: Jamaat

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ISLAMABAD: Indus Water Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah Friday said India has violated the Indus Water Treaty while filling the recently built Baglihar dam on the Chenab river. Talking to state television, he said India filled the dam in 10 days instead of completing the process in the period of 60 to 70 days. Water shortage, because of initial filling of the dam, has badly affected the agriculture sector of Pakistan as farmers could not irrigate their fields in time, he said. "India must accept that it has violated the treaty and ensure that it should not be repeated." Jamaat Ali Shah said he recently visited the site of Baglihar Dam in the Indian occupied Kashmir to inspect its operational mechanism and hold dialogue with the Indian authorities. "But, Indian authorities did not provide the required data," he added. He said Pakistan would ask India to install telemetry mechanism at the Chenab river and provide data about filling and release from the dam on daily basis. The commissioner said Pakistan has the right to claim compensation amount from India for the losses, which it faced due to water shortage. He hoped that India would abide by the Indus Water Treaty in future projects, adding that if the dam was operated in line with the treaty, then Pakistan would have no water shortage due to this project on the Chenab River. Jamaat Ali Shah underlined the need for proper management of water resources in Pakistan as according to a report 10 million acre feet water is wasted in the country due to seepage and canal losses. He also highlighted the importance of constructing new water reservoirs in the country to meet growing demands of electricity and agriculture sector. He said the government is endeavouring to adopt modern techniques in irrigation system to avoid wastage of water and get better crop production. The government would promote drip irrigation system across the country as such techniques can help save water, he added.



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