Scholar delivers lecture on Punjab’s river water dispute

The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan in 1960 became a root cause of the inter-state water dispute between Punjab and Haryana. As the issue continues to simmer tensions between the two states, Dr Kuldeep Singh, author and scholar, delivered a lecture on his latest book, published by Routledge, titled Punjab River Waters Dispute in South Asia.

“To stake its claim over the entire waters of the Satluj, Beas and Ravi, India had to prove that it had no surplus water. Therefore, at that time, 8 MAF out of a total of 15.8 MAF was allocated disproportionately to Rajasthan. The waters of Punjab are still being diverted to other neighbouring states,” he said during his lecture.

“Later, after the Green Revolution was introduced and the needs of Punjab and Haryana increased, the prolonged water dispute between the two states intensified. Over the years, political parties played to the galleries for votes and paid little attention to finding an honest solution, as Rajasthan’s share was never brought into the agenda,” he added.

Dr Atam Singh Randhawa, Principal of Khalsa College, observed that culturally too, water, like land, is a sensitive issue for Punjab’s farmers and requires serious discussion.

Dr Satnam Singh Deol, Head of the Department of Political Science and Dean, Student Welfare at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), said in his review lecture that the book is a landmark work, offering significant insights into the river water dispute from both historical and political perspectives.