Pakistan will probably disagree but one cannot deny the facts of the case: as an upper riparian state, India has behaved pretty responsibly with its downstream neighbours, signing treaties with the aforementioned Pakistan, also Bangladesh (Ganga waters 1996), and Nepal (Mahakali Treaty 1996, Gandak Agreement 1959, Kosi Agreement 1954).
Upper riparian China has not signed any water sharing treaty with India with regard to the Brahmaputra, although it does share some hydrological data. Fortunately, an estimated 60% of Brahmaputra waters originate in Arunachal Pradesh (Lohit, Dibang and Subansiri rivers), so China does not have a stranglehold over India.
Nevertheless, as a source pointed out, “water bombs” from China cannot be ruled out. Recall 2005, when a landslide on the Pareechu River in Tibet created an artificial lake, which burst its banks sending millions of tons of mud and sludge down the Sutlej into Himachal Pradesh causing immense damage.
China is again the upper riparian when it comes to the Indus, which rises somewhere near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. But the Indus is of less importance to India given that it traverses only a small part of Kashmir before entering Pakistani territory.
Advantage India
The Jhelum River, on the other hand, rises in the Kashmir Valley, while the Chenab rises in Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. The waters of these two rivers and the Indus are meant for Pakistan as per the Indus Waters treaty, but since it is now in abeyance, India is stepping up moves to get stalled projects on those rivers into operation.
Sources said priority will be the accelerated development of hydropower projects on the Chenab basin. Major projects under implementation include the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project, the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, the 850 MW Ratle Project, the 624 MW Kiru Project and the 540 MW Kwar Project.
These projects, expected to be commissioned progressively over the next few years, will substantially enhance India’s hydropower capacity while enabling the fuller utilisation of its legitimate rights under the Indus basin.
Flushing Operations
For decades, essential maintenance measures such as sediment flushing and operation of low-level outlets were either delayed or constrained because of persistent objections from Pakistan, despite these being internationally accepted engineering practices.
The sources said that “recent sediment flushing undertaken at the Baglihar and Salal Hydroelectric Project marks the beginning of a systematic programme to restore lost storage, improve reservoir performance and enhance the long-term safety and efficiency of hydropower infrastructure.”
The sources rejected attempts to portray fluctuations in the Chenab River as evidence of “hostile manipulation”. River flows at downstream locations are inherently influenced by seasonal snow melt patterns in the Himalayas. Variations in winter snowfall, delayed melting, or cooler spring temperatures naturally affect early-season discharge levels. Such fluctuations are a routine feature of Himalayan river systems.
All that India wants is to ensure its legitimate share of Indus waters is utilised efficiently, sustainably and in accordance with its long term developmental, water security and clean energy objectives.
