Srinagar, Jan 09 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday expressed support for the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, characterizing the decades-old pact as detrimental to the Kashmir’s interests.
Speaking at a press conference in Amritsar, CM Omar reiterated his longstanding opposition to the treaty. He stated that its suspension would allow the Kashmir valley to fully harness its water resources for local development.
“With the treaty suspended, I want immediate measures to be taken so that we can utilize this water for ourselves,” CM Omar said.
The Chief Minister highlighted two key projects already submitted to the central government for approval. The first is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage, also known as the Jhelum Navigation Barrage. “The water level in Wular Lake will increase, and as a result, the water in the Jhelum River will also rise. This will boost electricity production and allow the Jhelum to be used for navigation,” he said.
He confirmed that the state government is in continuous communication with the Centre regarding these initiatives.
CM Omar’s comments follow his earlier opposition to a proposal made after the treaty’s suspension to divert surplus water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers in Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan via a 113-kilometre canal.
“Nobody will take our water. I will not permit it,” CM Omar asserted. “First, let us use our water for ourselves, and then we will talk of others.”
The Tulbul Barrage project, a navigation lock-cum-control structure at the outlet of Wular Lake in north Kashmir, was designed to ensure year-round navigability on the Jhelum. Work was suspended in 1987 following objections from Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty.
During a visit to Srinagar in June last year, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar indicated that the central government would soon revive the long-stalled Wular Barrage project. (KNS)
