Water Resources: Do we Care?!
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the focus has shifted on suspension of the decades-old Indus Water Treaty by India.
The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, was signed between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960 to define modalities of water sharing between the two neighboring countries. By virtue of the treaty, use of waters of the Indus River system was fixed giving control of the waters of the western rivers—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan and the eastern rivers—the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India.
There have been disputes between India and Pakistan over the construction and design of several hydropower projects in J&K. Pakistan had objected to construction of the Wullar Barrage, also known as the Tulbul Navigation Lock Project in Asia’s largest freshwater lake, in Wullar lake around Sopore area of north Kashmir. It has also raised objections to the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project in Gurez area of north Kashmir claiming the water diversion for power generation violated the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan raised concern on the design of the Ratle Hydroelectric Project too.
The Court of Arbitration in 2023 ruled that it was “competent to consider and determine the disputes set forth by Pakistan’s request for arbitration. However, India refused to take part in the Court of arbitration and submitted its Memorial to the Neutral Experts. Later Pakistan joined the second meeting of the parties held by Neutral Experts in Vienna. On June 24 last year, a 40 member delegation comprising Indian, Pakistani and members of World Bank and International countries visited different units of 850-megawatt Ratle hydroelectric power project in J&K’s Kishtwar district.
This was the first visit to J&K by Pakistani delegates in over five-years. Pakistan is dependent on J&K water for irrigation purposes and India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty to avenge the brutal targeted killings of 25 tourists by terrorists in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir.
Politics apart, the tussle over water sharing between India and Pakistan depicts the importance of natural resources especially water. J&K is rich in water resources owing to its glaciers. However, climate change is posing a serious threat to J&K water resources.
There is a need to take climate change mitigation measures. For the last several years, J&K has been witnessing less precipitation and warmer winters. The Himalayan region has been considerably devoid of snowfall in the peak winter period. Kashmir has been facing drought-like situation due to an over rainfall deficit of over 80 percent in the last several years.
Our glaciers, which are Asia’s water towers, are retreating fast. J&K and Ladakh house major glaciers in the Hindu Kush region. Kolahoi, the largest glacier of Kashmir valley’s Jhelum Basin, has been bearing the brunt of climate change. Due to rising temperature, Kolhai has lost almost 23 percent of its area in the last over 60 years and fragmented into smaller parts. As per studies, Kolahoi Glacier is losing mass at the rate of about 1.0 m water equivalent annually, which is significantly higher than the glaciers in the rest of the Himalayas.
The mass loss of the glaciers is expected to exacerbate in future as a result of the projected climate change, and thus further diminishing the stream flow of the trans-boundary rivers emanating from the region.
Thajiwas, Hoksar, Nehnar, Shishram, and Harmukh glaciers are retreating rapidly due to spurt in temperature triggered by global warming and extreme pollution. It must be noted that Kolahoi glacier is the main source of water for river Jhelum, considered to be the lifeline of Kashmir.
Being an eco-fragile zone, J&K is confronted with environmental challenges due to global warming, unplanned urbanisation, deforestation and vandalisation of water bodies. Imagine a place like Kashmir, which is dotted with glaciers and water bodies, facing acute drinking water shortage. For the first time, even major springs dried after a prolonged dry spell this year.
In February this year, gushing spring in Achabal, one of the famous Mughal gardens, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, suddenly dried up. Aripal spring in the Tral area too vanished. These springs were the main drinking water sources for locals.
We didn’t learn lessons from devastating floods in 2014. We have been experiencing erratic weather. Cloudbursts are frequent now. It was horrific to see the devastation in Ramban area of Jammu due to landslides triggered by cloudbursts! What more evidence do we need to believe that we are facing ill effects of climate change.
Experts warn that Kashmir valley will experience more frequent and prolonged droughts in the future. Studies show that the region will experience more frequent and prolonged dry spells from the mid to end of the 21st century making it a new norm during 2051-2099 due to the climate change. Depleting stream flow predicted in the Upper Indus Basin ending in the twenty-first century will impact various sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture and hydropower projects. Depletion of streamflow will jeopardise the food, energy and water security in the entire Indus Basin.
There is an urgent need to preserve our water resources to maintain hydrological regimes and sustainability of hydropower projects. Water is our lifeline and we need to conserve it for our survival and future generations.
Author is Executive Editor,
Greater Kashmir
