Pakistan sets new body to protect its water rights

Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has set up a new body to examine construction of dams and water projects by India and Afghanistan and to coordinate steps to protect the country’s water rights.

A formal notification to set up Pakistan Trans-border Water Organisation (PTWO) under the leadership of Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Water Resources Kemal Majidullah has been issued by authorities, the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying.

The body will keep an eye on dams and water projects being built by the upper riparian countries and coordinate steps to protect Pakistan’s water rights on rivers flowing from India and Afghanistan.

Officials were quoted by the daily as saying that the need to establish PTWO arose “amid growing anxiety being expressed by relevant agencies and water experts over increasing Indian desire to construct more than two dozen medium-to-large water sector projects” on Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers and reports of Indian help to Afghanistan to develop dams on Kabul river and its tributaries.

The move surprised the Water and Power Ministry, which neither made a proposal for creating the PTWO nor was consulted by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the report said.

According to the notification, Pakistan’s Indus Waters Commissioner will report directly to Majidullah and apprise him of any move by India and Afghanistan to develop water storage or hydroelectric projects that may affect Pakistan’s water rights. .

PTI