Katra/Islamabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress and the National Conference (NC), saying they allowed India’s water to flow across the border for seven decades and showed no interest in building dams to utilise the resource. Addressing a rally in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the newly-created Assembly constituency named after Mata Vaishno Devi, Modi said his government was constantly improving road connectivity to tap the full tourism potential of the region.
He said, “The NC and Congress-run governments allowed our water to flow across the border. They never dared to build a big dam here. The Shahpur Kandi dam project remained in limbo for years and as a result, thousands of hectares of land in Jammu became barren.” Modi said that if the BJP government had not been formed at the Centre, the distressed farmers of Kathua and Samba districts would not have got a new life from the Shahpur Kandi dam.
The Prime Minister said, “Work is progressing rapidly on four hydropower projects – Pakal Dul, Kiru, Ratle and Kwar. This will not only improve the availability of electricity but will also provide employment to the youth.” Accusing the NC and Congress of treating Reasi and Udhampur districts step-motherly, he said a railway bridge over the Chenab river was proposed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, but both the parties kept the file pending.
Referring to the 1.3 km long Chenab Rail Bridge, which is 359 metres above the river bed (the Eiffel Tower in Paris is 35 metres higher), Modi said, “You handed over the work to Modi and BJP and we not only completed it, but also made it a tourist attraction for people.” The bridge is a key link in the 111 km stretch from Katra to Banihal, which is part of the ongoing prestigious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project. He said, “This bridge, which is higher than the Eiffel Tower, has brought this region to the global centre.” Modi said the government approved the Vande Bharat train for Katra soon after the project was launched.
The Prime Minister said, “Today, two such trains are running between Delhi and Katra. The condition of Katra and Reasi railway stations was bad, but both have been modernized with new facilities.” Underlining that two crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir last year and in addition 95 lakh pilgrims visited the Vaishno Devi temple, Modi said road and rail connectivity has been improved to promote tourism.
Modi said, “The arrival of tourists and pilgrims benefited small traders, fruit sellers and farmers. We will further promote tourism in the area with the completion of various projects like Devika and Tawi riverfront.” He also mentioned the youngest Indian Paralympic medalists – Sheetal and Rakesh and said that Katra played a big role in their success story.
The Prime Minister said, “They made the country proud after training here with the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi. There are a lot of opportunities available here and it is Modi’s promise that they will be fully utilised.” He also talked about the Delhi-Katra Expressway and the under-construction roads and railway tunnels and said that once these projects are completed, connectivity will improve further, which will benefit all sections of the society, especially farmers and gardeners. Seeking support from the people for his party, the Prime Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir will be taken to new heights of development.
Pakistan urges India to respect provisions of Indus Water Treaty
Days after India served a formal notice on Pakistan to review the Indus Water Treaty, Islamabad on Thursday said it considers the agreement “important” and expects New Delhi to abide by the provisions of the bilateral pact signed 64 years ago.
In New Delhi on Wednesday, government sources said that India had on August 30 sent a formal notice to Pakistan seeking a review of the 64-year-old agreement, citing “fundamental and unforeseen” changes in circumstances and the impact of continuing cross-border terrorism. India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on September 19, 1960 after nine years of negotiations with the sole objective of managing six trans-border rivers. The Indus Waters Treaty is one of the major agreements between India and Pakistan which has stood the test of time and has been adhered to despite wars and tensions between the two neighbours.
Responding to a question on India’s notice, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch told reporters here, “Pakistan considers the Indus Water Treaty important and expects India to abide by its provisions.” Baloch said that there is a mechanism of Indus Water Commissioners between the two countries and all issues related to the treaty can be discussed in it. She also said that any step to address the concerns related to the treaty should be taken under the provisions of the agreement.
Pakistan gets all the water from the three western rivers, Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, while India has full rights over the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers.
As per the treaty provisions, out of the total supply of 207.2 billion cubic metres, India’s share from the three allotted rivers is 40.7 billion cubic metres, or about 20 per cent, while Pakistan gets 80 per cent. According to sources in New Delhi, among the various concerns expressed by India are population change, environmental issues and the need to accelerate the development of clean energy to meet India’s emission targets. India has planned several hydropower projects along its border.
India has also cited the impact of the continuing cross-border terrorism as one of the reasons behind the demand for review. This is the second time in one and a half years that India has issued a notice to Pakistan for amendment of the Indus Water Treaty. In January last year, India had issued the first notice to Pakistan demanding review and amendment of the treaty, as Islamabad was adopting an “obstinate attitude” in resolving some disputes.
India had issued the previous notice because it was particularly disappointed with the appointment of the arbitration court. New Delhi has taken this important step a few months after the World Bank announced the appointment of a neutral expert and chairman of the arbitration court to resolve differences over the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir. India had issued the previous notice because it was particularly disappointed with the appointment of the arbitration court. The Indus River is considered the lifeline of Pakistan, as about 90 percent of its water from north to south, where it meets the Arabian Sea, is used for irrigation. Experts believe that the response of the Foreign Office spokesperson shows that Pakistan is not interested in amending the agreement under which the complex issue of water sharing between the two countries was resolved.