Shah: ‘India Will Never Restore IWT’; Abdullah Objects to J&K Water to Panjab

On 22 Jun, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said India will never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with neighboring Pakistan. He added, the water in the rivers will be diverted for internal use. India had put the IWT in abeyance after the Pahalgam killings which India describes as an act of terror backed by Pakistan. Meanwhile, India is initiating a feasibility study for a 113 km canal to transfer surplus water from Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) to Panjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. However, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, 'I will never permit this. Let us use our water for ourselves first...There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. Why should I send water to Panjab?' Abdullah referred to the 45-year-old dispute between Panjab and J&K over the construction of the Shahpur Kandi barrage in Pathankot. Signed in 1979, the agreement between the two states saw fruition only in 2018. According to Entry 17 of State List in the Indian Constitution, states can make laws on water including water storage and water power. Abdullah is within his rights to raise objections but all political parties in Panjab have objected to his position. Ruling Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Neel Garg accused him of deliberately politicizing the issue. The union government plans to revive the Ujh multipurpose (hydropower, irrigation, and drinking) project in J&K's Kathua. The canal—linking Chenab with Ravi-Beas-Satluj—will not only ensure full use of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Satluj) but also help India use its entire allocated share in the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab), stopping additional flow to Pakistan. The union govt also plans to revive the Tulbul navigation project on the Wular Lake in Kashmir. While these are future plans, on ground the Anandpur Sahib hydel canal, a 34-km lifeline for hydroelectric generation in the region, is in a state of severe neglect. The overgrowing weeds lead to disruption in water supply and frequent shutting down of power houses in Ganguwal and Kotla which together generate around 130 MW power (earlier coverage).