Indus Waters Treaty and Views

[hafiz mubashar]

Fellows, We often hear and assume that India is mainly responsible for recent floods in Pakistan. Blame is also given to Indus Waters Treaty and its legality and present usefulness, scrapping and modifications are also suggested and discussed for the said treaty. After reading the lead in today's Dawn http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.ph...0_2014_003_002 What do you say? Give arguments in support of it or vice-versa. How the problems related to Treaty can be solved?

[jamalnasir]

We should not blame Indus water treaty because it was our need to sign such treaty because before signing the treaty India stopped the waters, many times, from the head-works in her control only to intensify the situation. So in the year of 1960 we had to sacrifice three rivers to get proper water of remaining three.

It is not mentioned in Indus water treaty that India would not flow enough water to cause inundate in Pakistan. Its up to us that can we control enough water or not. When Indus water treaty was signed then situation was not same as the present situation. Although it was mentioned in the treaty that India would pay 170 million dollars to Pakistan for alternative arrangements (Like to construct dams, barrages and link canals). We should construct more link canals to connect Indus, Jehlam and Chenab with Ravi, Satluj and Bias. Recent flood was so devastating that if even India would like to stop it then she also could not stop it. Pakistan can only store 30 days of river water. India stores 120 to 220 days, Colorado River in the US stores 900 days. We should also construct more dams and barrages to increase our water storage capacity. In a nutshell, the recent flood is due to our own mistakes. We cannot blame India or Indus water treaty for this.