In my last blog post (http://www.onearth.org/node/1492), I mentioned that the presence of all Indian projects - except one - on waters before they enter Pakistan is allowed by the Indus Waters Treaty; the real problem was the design of the projects. The one project whose very presence is problematic under the Treaty is in Kishenganga, on the Neelam River, in Indian-controlled Kashmir. This dispute involves a diversion by India of one tributary to another. This is an outright violation to terms under the Treaty.

Geologically, this project is very complex as it will have a 27km long tunnel to divert water from the Neelam River from its natural course. The tunnel will be fed water from a 103 meter high reservoir on the river, the presence of which threatens to submerge the entire Gurez Valley, causing immense ecological damage.

The Indian defense is that through the proposed Wullar Barrage project (which will be discussed in another post), constant yearly flow of the Jhelum River can be maintained. To most Pakistani experts, this claim is ludicrous - the Pakistanis contend that this diversion could dry up the entire Neelam Valley.

An interesting clause in the Treaty gives control of the Neelam River to the country that completes its project first. Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) had planned a project on these waters that would decrease the country's water stress and increase hydroelectric energy production. It is important to understand that any Pakistani project on these rivers has no possible adverse affects to India, as these rivers flow through Indian territory before entering Pakistani territory (making Pakistan "downstream"). Indian projects, however, can have serious consequences for Pakistan, as they gave India control of Pakistan's water supply. India seems keen to complete its diversion project, which will render the WAPDA project useless, before the completion of the WAPDA project. Even though the price of the project has gone up a substantial amount and it lay idle for 18 years, Indian authorities are suddenly breathing life into it. In 2008, the Indian Minister for Water Affairs, Jairam Ramesh, said, "This project is of strategic importance to India. We will shortly take the revisited cost estimates of [$928 million] for the project for the cabinet's approval. We have to move heaven and earth to ensure the earliest commissioning of the project."

I will leave it to the readers of this post to determine the real goal of this project. Till next time...