Indus Water Treaty has caused huge losses to J&K: Govt

The Indus Water Treaty (IWT), under which Pakistan has got control over all the major rivers of Jammu and Kashmir, has resulted in huge losses to the state and the extent is being assessed, the government said today.
"It is a fact that the state is facing huge losses due to the IWT," Minister of State for Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control, Farooq Andrabi told the Legislative Council.
He was replying to a query of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Zafar Iqbal Manhas.
The Indus Water Treaty, signed in 1960, governs control of water of six common rivers between India and Pakistan. Under this, control over Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, all flowing through Jammu and Kashmir, has been given to Pakistan while control over Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, all flowing through Punjab, is with India.

The minister said the department has not done any study to assess and quantify the losses caused to the state due to the Treaty, but the matter of compensation would be taken up with the Centre.
He, however, said an audit is being done to find out how much exactly the losses have occurred.

When asked by Manhas as to why the state government had not pursued the matter with the Centre, Andrabi said IWT is an issue between India and Pakistan.
The minister's reply could not satisfy Manhas, after which Minister for Roads and Buildings and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri, intervened.

Veeri said the state has sought compensation for the losses due to IWT and the matter has been taken up with the Centre.