Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar unveiled a drainage master plan for Delhi, designed to tackle waterlogging and flooding issues. While presenting this long-term solution, Khattar also discussed efforts to address Delhi’s water shortage, including diverting water from the Indus River.
India is looking to divert water resources, potentially within the next 18 months, to address the drinking water needs of Delhi and neighboring states. This move comes in response to the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, as stated by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday. The minister, who also holds the portfolios of power and housing and urban affairs, highlighted these efforts during the unveiling of a drainage master plan. This plan aims to provide a long-term solution to the issues of flooding and waterlogging in Delhi.
What Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on using water from suspended Indus Water Treaty?
“We can say that Operation Sindoor is a blessing in disguise for meeting the water requirements of these states. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Indus Water Treaty will be kept in abeyance, we have much water that used to be diverted towards Pakistan till now. We are trying that over the next 1-1.5 years, this water can be diverted here so that we can increase water supply to Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states,” said Khattar.
The Union Minister did not specify the methods for transporting the water to Delhi. The 1960 treaty between India and Pakistan, which governed water distribution, has been suspended. This treaty had allocated water resources, with Pakistan receiving the larger share.
The Indus River system, comprising six major rivers including the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, is central to this. While two of these rivers originate in China, the majority originate in India. The flow of these rivers, with the exception of the Sutlej, is through India before reaching Pakistan.
Why India suspended decades-old Indus Water Treaty?
After the terror attack in Pahalgam in April, which led to the deaths of 26 people, primarily tourists, India made the decision to suspend the longstanding Indus Water Treaty. India communicated its decision to Pakistan, citing Pakistan’s violation of the treaty’s terms. Pakistan has voiced its opposition to India’s suspension of the treaty, stating that any Indian efforts to divert or limit water flow downstream would be viewed as a hostile act.
India has clarified that, despite the success of Operation Sindoor, its actions against terror hubs and military installations in Pakistan, the Indus Water Treaty will remain suspended. This decision is based on concerns with the 65-year-old agreement, including advancements in dam technologies over the years and the climate crisis, which has decreased water flow to the eastern tributaries of the Indus, the water from which was available to India under the treaty.
Before the Pahalgam incident, India had already sought to renegotiate the treaty with Pakistan, pointing to natural changes in the Indus river basin that have reduced India’s water allocation, especially with a growing population.
Separately, the union minister said the government has prepared a new project report to construct a dam near the Hathnikund barrage, aiming to increase water supply to Delhi. The plan, developed in consultation with PwC, involves building the dam near the Haryana and Himachal Pradesh border.
“Hathnikund barrage is not a dam and cannot store large amounts of water. If there is a dam in the vicinity, it will help generate power and will also ensure 2-3 months of additional water supply for Delhi and other states,” Khattar said.
The union minister also emphasised that these projects are designed to benefit not just one state, but the entire region.
He also mentioned that the government is working on constructing three dams across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to further improve the drinking water supply. These dams will distribute water to Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan, in addition to their respective states.
