The battle for water between India and Pakistan is long and has a rich history. This situation dates back to 1960 when the two countries decided to share the water based on rivers in the Indus water treaty of 1960 (Aaron T. Wolf and Joshua T. Newton, in institute of the water and watershed). The eastern rivers, Beas, Sutlej, and Ravi were exclusively set aside for India. At the same time, the rivers in the western, the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum where set aside for Pakistan. Times have changed since then, and the demand for water and water related products have lead for more demand of water in both countries. In India, its high population needs electricity. At the same time, Pakistan needed the water for its irrigation purposes. What drives the two countries into a water crisis is the fact that both countries need water. The argument between the countries with each defending its side when carefully analyzed, India has right over the waters and their usage may not significantly affect the water flow in Pakistan.
India plans to build a structure on the mouth of River Jhelum making it have the absolute capability to control the flow of the water during winter as proclaimed by Pakistan. The decision to do so does not imply that India shall control the water from flowing downstream the river and consequently affecting the Pakistan sections of the river. The fears presented by the Pakistan side are anticipated and hence subject to be held in suspicion since the dam to be constructed shall not hinder downstream flow of water. In a normal situation, when the lake or dam is full of water, the excess water is released to flow downstream. India’s main ideal of constructing the dam is to generate hydroelectric power. It is common knowledge that the hydroelectricity is only produced when water is flowing. Therefore, there is no way India shall control the water flow in the rivers. India has not shown, in its plan that it may pump the water back to the dam when it has gone past the turbine. The existing turbines in already existing dams that are run by the dam when full have not previously affected the flow of the water downstream. It is thus paranoid for Pakistan to insinuate that India desires to control the flow of the waters downstream.
Pakistan is reacting to water shortage that it has been experiencing over time. India’s upstream activities do not cause the water shortage. It is as a result of the global effect that has been caused by global climate change. If the study by the Dutch is anything to go by, by 2050, the water flow in Indus River shall have reduced by 8 % due to shrinking glaciers that happen to play an important role in the river catchment. This situation makes Pakistan have no any firm basis to argue that India upstream projects leads to reduced water flow downstream (Niharika Mandhana, 2012) .
The right for a country to use its natural resources available within its boundaries is violated if Pakistan denies India the right to construct the dam along Jhelum River. The question on morality on whether the India should forego its plans and have its citizens suffer due to inadequate electricity so that their neighbor Pakistan has plenty of water arises. Pakistan does not have an express right to demand for the flow of the water through India into their country as the Indians suffer. Water should be shared equally, but this does not mean that Pakistan have more rights to the water than the Indians
Work Cited
Niharika Mandhana. Water Wars: Why India and Pakistan Are Squaring Off Over Their Rivers, April 2012.
Aaron T. Wolf and Joshua T. Newton. Case Study of Transboundary Dispute Resolution: The Indus Water Treaty retrieved from http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/research/case_studies/Indus_New.htm on 17-4-2012
