Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 17: Though four years have elapsed since the idea of quantifying the losses, suffered by Jammu and Kashmir due to ‘discriminatory’ Indus Water Treaty (IWT), was mooted yet no significant headway could be made on the subject and keeping in view the prevailing situation nobody knows when the proposed vital exercise would reach its logical conclusion.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the idea of quantification of losses suffered by Jammu and Kashmir due to Indus Water Treaty was mooted in 2009—for the first time after the water sharing arrangement between India and Pakistan was brokered by the World Bank in 1960. The Government’s assertion was that once armed with credible data on the Indus Water Treaty losses it would be in a better position to project before the Union Government a real and comprehensive picture and demand compensation.
Initially, no step was initiated to give practical shape to the idea but later the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation floated tenders inviting offers for quantification of the losses. However, there was poor response to tendering and re-tendering exercise as only M/s Halcrow Consulting India Ltd, a part of M/s Halcrow Group of UK expressed interest in carrying out the exercise.
It took three years to the Government, which was otherwise very vociferous on assessing the losses, to take decision in favour of M/s Halcrow and finally on April 2, 2013 State Cabinet gave nod to the proposal seeking appointment of M/s Halcrow as consultant to quantify the losses suffered due to Indus Water Treaty.
Owing to inordinate delay on the part of Government in taking decision, M/s Halcrow refused to take the assignment prompting the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation to begin the tendering/bidding exercise afresh. However, no significant headway has so far been made on the fresh exercise, which was otherwise initiated several months back.
According to the sources, three Multinational Companies have offered their services for quantification of losses and during the last nearly three months the offers are being evaluated. “Given the prevailing situation, nobody knows when the quantification of losses will begin”, they regretted.
When contacted, Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation, M A Kakroo confirmed that none of the three bids received for the task has so far been shortlisted. “We are in the process of carrying out comparative studies and once the same is completed further steps will be initiated”, he said. The Managing Director, however, claimed that JKSPDC was keen to get the losses worked out as early as possible.
The IWT dictates in perpetuity the sharing and usage of the water of the Indus River and its tributaries. As per the Treaty, India is under an obligation to ensure unrestricted flow of water of the Western Rivers which comprise of Indus, the Jehlum and Chenab rivers to the Pakistan.
Unfortunately, for Jammu and Kashmir these rivers comprise the only three significant sources of water crossing the State which it could develop. Due to Indus Water Treaty, the State is only making limited withdrawals from the rivers for domestic use, non-consumptive use, specified agricultural use and restricted generation of hydro-electric power. Due to these limitations, the State has only been able to develop limited storage for hydropower, irrigation, flood control and domestic and other purposes.
It is pertinent to mention here that Cabinet Sub-Committee, which was constituted to look into various issues arising out of the terms and conditions of the entrustment of hydroelectric projects to the NHPC, has assessed the losses caused to J&K due to IWT at Rs 18,000 crore per annum.
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