By KUNA,
Islamabad : Water shortage has become more sever in Pakistan as India has closed water flow of one of the main rivers, Chenab, said a report here on Monday.
The water blockade by India could adversely affect the crops, particularly cotton and sugarcane which were in maturity stage and required final watering, citing sources a local newspaper Dawn reported.
It said the Pakistan Indus Water Commission had taken up the matter with the federal government and convened a meeting on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and try to reach a diplomatic solution with New Delhi.
If the Chenab closure prolongs, the sowing of crops next month, particularly wheat, would be hit severely.
The government had to import more than two million tons of wheat this year despite a record production of more than 23 million tons.
The water shortage could force Pakistan to import more wheat next year, adding to the foreign exchange pressure and worsening its balance of payments crisis.
The authorities are already estimating more than 35 per cent shortage of irrigation water during the next crops season following a decline in the melting of snow in Northern Areas, higher withdrawals by provinces and increased hydropower generation.
The sources said India’s unilateral decision to stop the Chenab flows had put additional pressure on the irrigation system of Pakistan, which used to receive more than 23,000 cusecs a day until last week, but it had now been brought down to almost zero.
Thanks to its location, size and borders with other South Asian countries, India, as an upper and lower riparian territory, has come into conflict with all its neighbors except Bhutan, on the cross-border water issues. India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in 1960, under which Pakistan allocated three eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej and Beas) to India and India three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) to Pakistan.
Despite wars and several disputes related to Dam constructions on Jehlum (two dams) and Chenab (nine dams) rivers, the IWT has remarkably survived.