Termination of Indus Waters Treaty will ensure immense benefit to J&K: L-G Sinha
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Saturday termination of Indus Waters Treaty is a befitting response to Pakistan and it will have far-reaching consequences since it is dependent on the Indus river system.
Sinha launched a monograph ‘Indus Water Treaty-Mirroring the Facts’ authored by Sant Kumar Sharma, at Jammu today. In his address, the Lieutenant Governor congratulated the author on his work to bring out various historical aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Sinha said the thoughtful and timely monograph offers interesting insights on the IWT with Pakistan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisive move to terminate the treaty post Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 persons dead.
Sinha said the historic step has marked a new beginning, and reiterated Government of India’s commitment to “utilise India’s water exclusively for the benefit of its citizens.”
“India’s water will now flow within the country. With the termination of Indus Water Treaty, we now have full control over the Jhelum and Chenab rivers,” he said further adding that the termination of IWT will ensure immense benefit to J&K, which will be able to harness its real hydro power potential, the barren areas of Jammu can be irrigated and there will be new momentum in the development of infrastructure.
Citing a debate in Parliament in November 1960 and the statements of prominent leaders in the House, he said that the IWT was a “historical mistake, unfair, one-sided" and hampered infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir and restricted growth of development projects.
He stated India will now create infrastructure, power plants and diversion to new areas with proper infrastructure to use the water and it will enable construction of new reservoirs.
“India has made it clear that blood and water cannot flow together, terror and talk cannot go together and terror and trade cannot happen together. Termination of Indus Waters Treaty is a befitting response to Pakistan and it will have far-reaching consequences since it’s dependent on the Indus river system,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor also paid tribute to the civilians who were martyred in the Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack in Pahalgam. He also reiterated his resolve to honour and deliver justice to the terror victims of Jammu and Kashmir.
“No terror victim families will be left behind. It is being ensured that family members, who have been waiting for justice for decades, will receive jobs, financial assistance and necessary handholding. Their culprits will not be spared. The properties of terror victims which were encroached by terrorists or terror sympathisers will be vacated soon,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
J & K