THIS refers to the letter ‘Controversial project: Indian version’ by the first secretary of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Sidhharth Zutshi, who has criticised Dawn editorial ‘Controversial project’ (July 11).

Dawn was absolutely right in its comment regarding the Kishanganga dam project being built by India in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty. It was based on facts and Pakistan’s genuine fears of Indian evil designs to pre-empt Pakistan’s riparian water rights on the Jhelum River.

Dawn was so fair that it did not even spare the Pakistan government for its failure and incompetence to address effectively vital issues arising out of construction of scores of Indian dams on our western rivers, namely the Chenab, the Jhelum and the Indus, in flagrant breach of the treaty. Furthermore, its apprehensions are also justified that by building so many storage dams India can ‘strangulate’ Pakistan by holding up irrigation supplies to millions of acres of cropland to the sheer detriment of the country.

Then there is baseless accusation that Dawn facilitates protests against Indian water aggression and that it gives voice to “those who beat the drums of war in the name of water.”

It reminds one of the proverbial monkey who does no evil and sees no evil. It seemed typical of Indian strategy as was my experience in the mid-1950s as a member of Pakistan’s water delegation for canal water talks with India under the good offices of the World Bank in Washington D.C. Insofar as Pakistan is concerned India has been on the path of water way since long.

The first secretary of the Indian High Commission has asserted that most of the questions relating to the treaty had been resolved in the past 50 years. May one ask as to when questions raised by Pakistan against designs of most of the mega projects like Wuller Barrage, Tulbat Navigation Lock, Urii I and II on the Jhelum and Nimo Bazgo and Chutak on the Indus plus many more, including 840 feet high Bursar Dam on the Chenab, were resolved mutually with the exception of the Salal Dam on the Chenab?

Moreover, the treaty allows India to build run-of-the-river hydropower plants. How could it count a project with 840 feet high Bursar Dam as run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant?

BASHIR A. MALIK Former Chief Technical Adviser, UN Lahore

Controversial project

THIS is apropos of the letter ‘Controversial project: Indian version’( July 17) by Sidhharth Zutshi, First Secretary, High Commission of India, in reply to the editorial ‘Controversial project’ (July 11).

The editorial stated that a series of disputes on hydropower generation projects initiated by India had given rise to concerns that New Delhi was trying to control the river water and thus ‘strangulate’ Pakistan’s agriculture and economy.

In this regard, Mr Zutshi drew attention towards a statement in the National Assembly, given by the minister of water and power on April 22. Mr Zutshi stated: “There is no illegal construction by India on the western rivers. However, sometimes disputes arise on the design of the plants which are being resolved under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960.”

He added that most of the questions regarding implementation of the treaty over the last 50 years have been resolved in the Permanent Indus Commission. He also expressed his concern at voices, through the columns of the worthy newspaper, of those ‘who beat the drums of war in the name of water.’

The impression Mr Zutshi gave in the newspaper is unfounded, baseless and misleading. A newspaper, The Statesman, itself contradicted his stance, saying in its February 22, 2010 story titled ‘India plans Bursar Dam on River Chenab, Pakistan keeps mum’.

The story stated: “With Pakistan still undecided when to formally seek intervention of the International Court of Arbitration against controversial construction of Kishanganga hydropower project by India in violation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, New Delhi has started preparations to build another big dam on River Chenab.”

The story adds that the proposed dam would not only violate the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, international environmental conventions and cause water scarcity in Pakistan but would also contribute towards melting of Himalayan glaciers.

The newspaper further writes that the Bursar Dam would be constructed near Hanzal village (near Kishtwar) in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on the

133-kilometre-long Marusudar River, the main right bank tributary of the Chenab river.

Its construction would be a serious violation of the treaty as its storage was much behind the permissible limits. More than 4,900 acres of thick forest would be submerged and the whole population of Hanzal village would be displaced.

KHALED IKBAL Islamabad