No water from Sutlej, Beas rivers flows to Pak except during monsoon: Govt

India does not release water from the Sutlej and the Beas to Pakistan except in rare cases during the monsoon, the government said on Thursday.

Water sharing between India and Pakistan, governed by the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, has been a point of contention for decades.

Under the treaty, India has control over the Sutlej, Beas and the Ravi rivers while Pakistan manages the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and the Chenab.

Water from the Sutlej and the Beas rivers only reaches Pakistan in exceptional circumstances, particularly during the monsoon season when heavy rainfall leads to increased levels in reservoirs, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha.

 

"No water from the Sutlej and the Beas rivers flow to Pakistan except during the monsoon season ie during floods when substantial rainfall occurs in the catchment of these rivers," he said.

"Such a situation may arise in exceptional circumstances or during short-duration monsoons when the water levels stored by the dams become very high and there is necessity of release of water for Dam safety," he added.