LAHORE: The Indus Water Treaty should remain in perpetuity and unchanged, say experts at a panel discussion at the annual workshop of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)-Pakistan at a local hotel on Wednesday.

Indus Water Commissioner Asif Baig said that under the treaty India got more water as three eastern rivers were given to it. The treaty did not fully comprehend the environmental impact of drying up of Ravi and Sutlej rivers besides groundwater or the value of energy embodied in water. “It is still a valid and relevant treaty,” said Mr Baig.

Indus River System Authority chairman Rao Irshad Ali Khan said there existed a mechanism within the treaty to resolve issues. Matters pertaining to environment should be taken up while remaining in the ambit of the treaty. “There is likelihood that we will be losers if we seek re-opening or revision of the treaty,” he said.

Columnist and Pakistan editor for The Third Pole, Zofeen T Ebrahim was of the view that since environmental aspects had not been touched while finalising the treaty, the need of the hour was to review it.

Wapda’s Izharul Haq said it took 12 years or so to finalise the treaty. “Work on it started in 1948 and the treaty could be signed in 1960 and that too with the involvement of some superpowers. India wouldn’t be giving us water for the eastern rivers even for environment purposes,” he said.

Another expert, Abdul Khalid, said India would be more than happy if the treaty was re-opened. “It will be suicidal. The Indians would focus on the water which we are letting go into the sea without any utilisation. We should build reservoirs first, initiate research by conducting a thorough study of the decreasing groundwater level and other environment impacts of the areas around the three eastern rivers,” he said.

Earlier, Hydrology and Water Management researcher Dr M Tousif Bhatti and IWMI-Pakistan head and irrigation principal researcher Dr Arif Anwar presented paper on ‘Canal operations planner I & II.’ They also shared with the participants findings of recent research developments and innovations at the IWMI in the context of large-scale irrigation system.

IWMI Water Governance Researcher Dr Azeem Ali Shah presented paper on ‘Equity in a tertiary canal of the Indus Basin Irrigation System’, and Dr Arif Anwar on ‘The potential of precision surface irrigation in the Indus Basin Irrigation System.’

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2016