Srinagar, Nov 13 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said that rather than questioning the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), the Government of India should return at least two power projects to compensate for the losses suffered by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
She was responding to remarks by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who on Tuesday highlighted that the IWT was hindering hydropower generation due to storage constraints. Abdullah, who also holds the Power portfolio, made these comments during the Conference of Power Ministers of States and Union Territories in New Delhi.
The Indus Water Treaty governs the allocation of water from six rivers between India and Pakistan. India has full rights over the water of Ravi, Sutlej and Beas, while Pakistan has rights over the water of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
Mehbooba noted that the Indus Water Treaty has been the only agreement consistently upheld between India and Pakistan over the past seven decades, and there should be no disputes over it.
She further emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir has borne significant hardships as a battleground between the two nations.
“The Indus Water Treaty is the only agreement that has held between India and Pakistan. There is no doubt that Jammu and Kashmir has suffered losses due to the Treaty, as we are unable to fully utilize our water resources,” Mufti told reporters in Srinagar.
The former Chief Minister remarked that the BJP’s narrative in recent years has been to review the Indus Water Treaty. She urged political parties in J&K not to align with the BJP on this issue, and instead, to press the Government of India for compensation.
Mufti also recalled that it was National Conference leaders, the late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, who handed over eight power projects to the NHPC.
The PDP President suggested that the Government of India should consider implementing the recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee, which proposed the return of two hydel projects to J&K.
Additionally, she demanded that the Centre compensate Jammu and Kashmir if it does not return the power projects, warning that reopening settled issues like the Indus Water Treaty would only create further tension between India and Pakistan and hit the people of J&K.
“This will lay the foundation for a new conflict between the two countries if we start questioning the Indus Water Treaty now,” she said.
