The water crisis is potential risk to not only the country’s economy, but also for the life. At a time when India has stubbornly been violating the Indus Water Treaty by building new dams on the rivers, the successive governments in Islamabad have also showed highest degree of negligence in conducting a sound analysis of trans-boundary water issues. The lethargic attitude of the Pakistani officials also caused inordinate delays in presenting the dispute to the Indus Water Commission or the World Bank. The issue has so far been not only remain unaddressed, but also carries risks to spoil the regional peace.The water security of Pakistan is under grave threat which could hinder the development of the country and peace in the region. The government has apparently failed to launch any research work or study the perils of water shortage and fell short of devising any diplomatic offensive against water terrorism of India. The rivers once fully flowing through the country have turned into small streams or have dried up. The issue is not been taken seriously at any government forum and the coming generation are likely to live in barren land. The Indus Water Treaty has been under threat for the last three decades. Though India is trying to bulldoze the international treaty despite it has no exit clause,the successive governments in Islamabad have failed to perceive the short and long terms dangers attached with it.According to experts, the treaty itself could not address two basic issues such as division of water in dry years and the cumulative impact of storages on the flows of the River Chenab.
India has launched Wular Barrage and Kishenganga projects on the Jhelum and Neelum rivers, posing grave threat to the Pakistani agriculture during the Rabi and Kharif seasons. Under the treaty, India is allowed to create storages on the western rivers up to 3.6 million acre feet for general, power and flood storages, respectively. India doesn’t want to discuss crucial clauses of the treaty which create shortage of water in Pakistan and has even refused to include it in the composite dialogues between the two countries. However, it does not want to discard the treaty. Experts believe there is ambiguity in several clauses of the treaty which could have different interpretations. This is the best strategy of India which wants to keep the issues alive and foil any attempt to reach a clear cut decision. It multiplies the nature and number of conflicts between the two countries. India is facing the same issues with Bangladesh as it wants every clauses of agreements to its favour. On another note, global warming has started glaciers to melt, creating a new situation in various parts of the world including the Himalayas range. Due to differences of opinion in the agreement, India opens flood gates on its own will, creating floods in Sindh and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. It cause setbacks to the Pakistani economy.
