SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday opposed a proposal to divert surplus water from three Western rivers of the Indus system in J&K to Punjab after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.
“Nobody will take our water. I will not permit it. First, let us use our water for ourselves, and then we will talk of others,” Abdullah asserted.
He was responding to a question regarding a 113-km canal proposed for redirecting surplus water from the three rivers of the Indus System in Jammu and Kashmir — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
“There is drought in Jammu, and taps are running dry there. Why should I send water to Punjab, which already has three (Eastern) rivers under IWT? Did Punjab give us water then,” Omar countered.He said J&K was yearning for water when the multipurpose project and Shahpur Kandi barrage was started.
“They made us cry for so many years. After a lot of fighting, some work was done on Shahpur Kandi (Barrage),” he said.
Asserting that he won’t release water to Punjab, Omar said, “As of now, this water is for us, and we will use it for ourselves and then decide about others.”
Asked how J&K was going to use the surplus water from Western River waters, he announced, “We would start work on Tulbul Navigation Barrage project in north Kashmir again and will also divert water from Chenab river from Akhnoor to Jammu”.
The Wullar barrage project is a navigation lock-cum-control structure located at the outlet of Wular Lake in north Kashmir. It was designed to facilitate navigation on the Jhelum River during the lean winter months.
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, during his visit to Srinagar, last week, stated that the Wular Barrage project, work on which was suspended in 1987 due to Pakistan’s objections under the IWT, would be revived soon.
India put the IWT in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed.
Under the 1960 treaty, the eastern rivers of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej were given to India, and the western rivers of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab were given to Pakistan, with India permitted limited and non-consumptive use.
Jammu and Kashmir has been the sufferer due to the IWT, as no large dams could be constructed to store water, and the region could only irrigate up to 13 lakh acres of agricultural land.
‘Will start work on Tulbul Navigation project’
Asserting that he won’t release water to Punjab, Omar said, “As of now, this water is for us, and we will use it for ourselves and then decide about others.” Asked how J&K was going to use the surplus water from Western River waters, he announced, “We would start work on Tulbul Navigation Barrage project in north Kashmir again and will also divert water from Chenab river from Akhnoor to Jammu”.