India plans to ruin Pakistan Agriculture? To build seven hydropower projects on Chenab!
Vishal Singal
By Khalid Mustafa
Thursday April 20, 2006, ISLAMABAD: India has come up with an odious
plan to construct at least seven more hydropower projects on the Chenab
river to generate 3,270 MW electricity, which if constructed with its
ulterior motives (in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty), will not
only ruin Pakistan's agricultural but also jeopardize defence of the
country.
A senior government official confided to The News that India has made a
plan to build seven more hydropower projects on the Chenab river, which
is one of the main water resources of the country. India has already
completed the Salal hydropower project on the Chenab river with 690 MW
power generation capacity, which has been operational since 1987.
India is currently in a process of completing two hydropower projects -
900 MW Baglihar and 780 MW Dul Hasti - on the same river. According to
the document available with this correspondent, India has planned to
build seven more hydropower projects on the Chenab river and its
tributaries, which include Gypsa hydropower project with 225 MW,
Kirthai 400 MW, Naunat 400 MW, Bursar 275 MW, Pakwal Dul 375 MW, Ratle
340 MW, and Sawalkot to generate 1200 MW hydel power.
"The projects are 10 in numbers, which will generate 5,585 MW hydel
power," says the document. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the
Chenab is Pakistan's river and India cannot divert its water for power
generation under the treaty. The Chenab is playing a pivotal role for
the agriculture production in the Punjab. The official said that in
case India manages to materialise this plan with its ulterior motives,
Pakistan's defence in Sialkot area and agriculture of the country would
be destroyed.
When asked what would be the impact of Salal, Dul Hasti and Baglihar
projects after their completion on Pakistan's agriculture as per
"faulty designs", he said India would have the capacity to control the
water and can stop water for 28 days at Headmarala, Sialkot, from where
the two most strategic canals come out would get dried and the defence
of Sialkot would be weakened as the said two canals had been
constructed with the aim to strengthen the country's defence. The two
canals also play an important role in irrigating the major part of
central Punjab.
"The severity of the issue can be gauged from the fact that if the
seven more hydropower projects were materialised in violation of the
treaty, the Punjab will be dried and the whole irrigation will get
destroyed."
When contacted on this very alarming issue, Syed Jamaat Ali Shah,
Commissioner of Pakistan's Commission of Indus Water, said if India
constructs the projects as per the Indus Waters Treaty, supplies of
water to Pakistan will not be affected and if India mal-operates the
projects, then it can create problems.
He said Pakistan would not allow India to construct any project with
objectionable design on Pakistan's rivers. He said that government was
not allowing India to construct Baglihar with existing design under
which it wants to make gate like structures and construction of pond
will give the capacity to India to control the supplies of water. He
said under the treaty India can make project, but on the run of the
river and government is too much vigilant on this very important issue
and is fighting its case in the court of Neutral Expert.
About the future seven projects, he said Pakistan is vigilant and will
also keep a vigilant eye on the design of the said projects and would
not allow India to go with these projects with designs, in violation of
Indus Waters Treaty.
However, Hamil Malhi, President of National Water Council told The News
that in case India builds the projects with designs in violation of the
Indus Waters Treaty, then it will not be less than declaration of an
open war, which New Dehli cannot afford.
He said Pakistan had successfully forced India to stop construction of
the Wullar barrage and GoP is now fighting against the construction of
Baglihar hydropower project, which India is constructing with an
illegal and objectionable design. He said the government would not
allow India at any cost to construct seven new projects with designs in
violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
When asked if India manages to build the said projects with its
interior motives, then what will be the impact, Malhi said the building
of these projects would badly affects Pakistan's agriculture.
When contacted, Major-General Shaukat Sultan, military spokesman said
the Foreign Office is the right platform to know what has been planned
at the government level for ensuring water in canals which come out
from Headmarala to make Pakistan' defence strengthened in case India
stops the water at Headmarala. However when contacted Foreign Office
spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said she would come up with proper reply
after getting briefing on this particular issue.
Web Source [http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=11398]
Vishal Singal
Singal Hydel Consulting SHC
"Power House" # 892, Sector 12
Panchkula 134 112, HRY INDIA
Tel +91 9888188891, 9888288892
E-Mail: singa...@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.himurja.com
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