ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government is seeking the resumption of water flow from India via River Ravi to maintain its ecological balance, a top official confirmed on Thursday after India last month reportedly diverted the flow of water to a barrage in the Jammu and Kashmir territory under its control for irrigation purposes.
Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty in 1960, which gives control over the waters of the three eastern Indus River tributaries Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej to India, and control over the waters of the three western rivers, the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, to Pakistan.
Under the treaty, both countries can approach the World Bank for arbitration in case of disputes over the use of water resources.
Indian media widely reported last month that India had diverted the water flow from Ravi to Shahpur Kandi Barrage in Jammu and Kashmir for irrigation purposes. The barrage is set to irrigate around 32,000 hectares of land in the Kathua and Samba districts in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“As part of the treaty, India has exclusive rights over the waters of the Ravi but Pakistan has raised the issue with India for environmental flows to maintain ecological balance,” a senior official of Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters told Arab News, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media on the issue.
Environmental flow is a term used to describe the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows that are required to sustain freshwater estuarine ecosystems and human livelihoods.
The official said Pakistan raised the issue of environmental flow with India in the last meeting of Indus Water Commissioners held in New Delhi in May 2022. He said Pakistan was carrying out a study to determine the amount of water flows it needs to maintain the ecological balance.
“The Punjab Irrigation Department is currently carrying out a study to ascertain quantity and timing of the environmental flow, and then this study will be shared with India for further discussions,” he said.
He admitted that India was under no obligation to accept Pakistan’s demand to release water into the Ravi. “But this is one of the emerging public importance issues that need to be taken care of,” he said.
Experts said both countries needed to renegotiate the Indus Water Treaty to incorporate crucial elements such as environmental flows to deal with the latest challenges such as climate change.
“The Indus Water Treaty deals with the surface waters of the rivers only but now the need is to discuss a way out for groundwater, climate change and environmental flow between both countries,” Dr. Pervez Amir, a water expert and council member of the Hisaar Foundation which advocates for water and livelihood security, told Arab News.
“The treaty should not be static as both countries should show wisdom to address the mutual water challenges through negotiations.”
Arshad Abbasi, a water expert, said environmental flow is crucial to ensure positive effects on River Ravi’s health and to maintain the groundwater level for the future urbanization of Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore.
Abbasi proposed the minimum environmental flow should be sixteen to eighteen percent of the total Ravi water flow or greater.
He warned that if Pakistan failed to ensure the resumption of water flow from India, it would lead to a decline in Lahore’s water level, besides impacting other cities that rely on groundwater replenished by the Ravi.
“Pakistan should take the matter to the World Bank for arbitration before India turns Lahore into a desert,” Abbasi warned.
