Pakistani farmer Homla Thakur, who is spraying pesticides in his vegetable field just a short distance from the Indus River, is worried about his future. The water level of the river is very low with the heat of the sun. In the past, India has also threatened to stop water supply due to the terrorist attack in Kashmir. Before turning the river again to fill the spray gun, 40 -year -old Thakur said, ‘If India stops water, the entire country will be transformed into a Thar desert. We will die of hunger. ‘ His about 5 acres of farm is in Latifabad, Sindh province.
The concern like Thakur is also of 15 other farmers of Pakistan and some other experts. One is less rain in recent years. Secondly, India has also postponed the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with the World Bank’s mediation. This river delivers water to more than 80 percent of Pakistani fields. India has said that two of the three terrorists who attacked tourists in Kashmir and killed 26 people were from Pakistan. But Pakistan has denied any such role and said that any attempt to stop or bend the water supply of the Indus River will be considered as war action.
The agreement has divided the Indus and its tributaries between the two countries. Government officials and experts of the two countries say that India cannot stop water supply with immediate effect, as it is allowed to build only a heavy storage on the three rivers allotted to Pakistan without any heavy storage or a damage plant. But things can change in the next few months.
Union Waterpower Minister Chandrakant Raghunath Patil wrote on the social media platform X, “We will ensure that not a single drop of Indus River reached Pakistan.” However, he did not answer questions of the atmosphere of fear in Pakistan.
Two Indian officials, who discussed this sensitive issue, said on the condition of anonymity that India can fold water to their fields through canals in the next few months. Apart from this, the government is also planning to build hydroelectric dams, but it may take four to seven years to complete.
Kushwinder Vohra, the head of the Central Water Commission, said that India will stop sharing water science data at various places of rivers flowing through the country at present. Apart from this, the government will stop the flood warning and both countries will not participate in the annual meeting of the Indus Commission headed by each officer.
The Indus Commissioner towards India and still sometimes sometimes the Vohra who advises the government, says, ‘He will not know when and how much water is coming. They will not be able to make any plan without any knowledge.
Economists say that this will not only be with agriculture, but the lack of water will also affect power generation and the economy is also expected to be adversely affected.
UK’s consulting firm Oxford Policy Management Economist and Team chief Waqar Ahmed says that Pakistan has lowered the threat of separation from India’s Treaty. He said, “India currently has no infrastructure to stop water supply, especially during the flood, Pakistan has time to remove the flaws of its water area.”
Controversy continues
In recent years, the Narendra Modi government of India has been trying to re -talk on the treaty. Apart from this, the two countries are trying to resolve some of their issues in the Permanent Arbitration Court in the Hague with the size of the water storage area of ​​Kishanganga and Rattle hydroelectric plants.
Vohra says that now we can pursue our projects on our own free will. On Thursday, India issued a letter to Pakistan that things have changed a lot since the agreement on the treaty, which has given more and more clean energy sources needed, referring to the growth of population and referring to hydroelectric plants. A World Bank spokesperson said that the World Bank was a signator for some limited and defined works under the treaty and he could not give his opinion on the sovereignty of the treaty taken by the member countries.
First Published – April 27, 2025 | 10:21 PM IST
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