India and Pakistan clash over water

Pakistan and India are engaged in a war of words as the rivals have their annual sit down to agree water use from the shared Indus basin.


Pakistan has raised concerns about Indian plans to build two new hydro power plants on the River Sindh but India has already rejected five of its neighbour’s seven formal objections at the meeting of the bilateral Indus River Commission.

The Pakistani authorities say the damming for the hydro projects will block over 43 million cubic metres of water.

Pakistan has also asked India for open reporting on its plans to use water from the shared basin for agriculture.

The use of the shared water resource has been a source of tension between the two states since partition and in 1960 both countries signed up to the World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty.

Pakistan claims that the development of the Nemobaaz Go and Chutak power plants will be in breach of the treaty, but India looks set to plough ahead with its plans.

The meeting continues until Wednesday.

Sam Bond

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe