In the light of the recent Pulwama attack, India is leaving no stone unturned in its effort to pressurise Pakistan to relinquish its assistance to terrorists. After taking various measures like withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation status and imposing customs duty of 200% on all imports from Pakistan, now Union Minister for Water Resources, Nitin Gadkari has informed that India will stop the flow of waters of three rivers assigned to it as per the Indus Water Treaty into Pakistan. Gadkari asserted that the diverted water will help in nurturing the Yamuna river.
Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Sri @narendramodi ji, Our Govt. has decided to stop our share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. We will divert water from Eastern rivers and supply it to our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) February 21, 2019
Addressing a rally in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, Gadkari had informed that a project is being conceived to divert the waters of 3 rivers flowing into Pakistan into Yamuna. If accomplished, the project would choke the water supply of Pakistan, which is already reeling under the water scarcity distress. As per the Indus Water Treaty, India and Pakistan were assigned waters of 3 rivers each. However, India had been magnanimous in generously allowing the waters of 3 rivers assigned to it to flow to Pakistan.
Gadkari further added that a project is being conceptualised to connect the three rivers and possibilities of transportations in these water channels are being explored. “Water that rightfully belongs to us was flowing into Pakistan. The water of these three rivers belonged to India. We are now conceptualising a project to divert the waters of these three rivers to the Yamuna. There will be enough water in Yamuna,” Gadkari said while laying foundation stones for several water projects in Uttar Pradesh.
The Indus Water Treaty, signed in 1960, divides the water available in the Indus System of Rivers between India and Pakistan. The treaty gives the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej rivers to India, while the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum rivers are given to Pakistan. Therefore, this move by India will be according to the provisions of the treaty. The amount of water carried by the three rivers allotted to Pakistan is already more than double the water carried by the three rivers given to India.
Following the Pulwama attack, PM Modi chaired a CCS meet with top security officials and his cabinet. The meet concluded with offering the Armed forces a free rein to exact the revenge at a place and timing of their choice. It also agreed upon mounting an insurmountable diplomatic offence by speaking to representatives of 25 countries, the ambassadors of Arab nations and withdrawing the Most Preferred Nation (MFN) status from Pakistan.
