Ignorance of history behind BJP’s IWT criticism: Former Water Resources Minister

“On the rivers that were allotted to Pakistan under the IWT, the agreement allows India to build run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects and we have Salal on the Jhelum, Baglihar and Dulhasti on the Chenab, and Kishanganga on the Kishanganga (Neelum) river that originates in J&K and flows to PoK,” Bansal told The Tribune on Thursday.

He further said that desilting was not barred at the dams on the western rivers of the Indus basin either. “What is restricted is the drawdown flushing by lowering the water level below dead storage level to check depletion of water levels below that point in normal operation of these dams,” Bansal said.

He recalled that in the case of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab, which ran the risk of silting in 2007, Pakistan had objected to drawdown flushing by India as a de-silting method, but the neutral expert under the IWT allowed drawdown.

“Ever since then, periodic shutdowns for flushing have been carried out by India. Further, when Pakistan objected to the construction of the Kishanganga project in 2013, the International Court of Arbitration allowed the project but placed restrictions on drawdown flushing,” he told The Tribune.

“India was able to retain Muslim-majority tehsils of Ferozepur and Zira despite Pakistan’s claims only because of our interest in the Ferozepur Headworks at the Hussainiwala Barrage.” -- Pawan Bansal, former Union Minister for Water Resources

The former minister said BJP leaders’ sweeping comments on the signing of the IWT resulted from lack of knowledge of history and understanding of the 19-year process that preceded the treaty.

“In the circumstances then prevailing, when Pakistan laid claim to a share from waters of the Eastern rivers as well, the final IWT was not adverse to India’s interests,” he argued.

Asked to elaborate his claims, Bansal said forceful arguments before the Boundary Commission headed by Radcliffe helped India retain Ferozepur and Zira, the two Muslim-majority tehsils.

“We were able to keep these tehsils despite their Muslim majority because of our interest in Ferozepur Headworks (Hussainiwala Barrage),” he added.

The former minister also cited history to say that the Muslim-majority tehsils of Gurdaspur and Batala along with non-Muslim majority Pathankot tehsil in Gurdaspur district were also awarded to India even though Pakistan had claimed these three tehsils in order to have Madhopur headworks in Pathankot to irrigate Muslim-majority areas.

“India’s interests prevailed, showing that India had both water and territory as a priority on its mind. India thus gained both the headworks as well as a direct link to J&K,” Pawan Bansal said.

The Congress leader said the post-Pahalgam scenario does not negate the necessity of IWT in the 1948-60 period.