India to make 10 hydropower projects on Indus river in Ladakh

ISLAMABAD: After abeyance of the Indus Water treaty, India has announced to launch ten major hydropower projects on the Indus River in the Ladakh region.

This move has posed a threat to the water security in the region as Pakistan has already said that any sort of water disruption will be taken as an act of War.

The new projects including Achinthang-Sanjak, Parfela, Sont (Batalik), and Khalsti will restrict water flow on western rivers, which flow into Pakistan.

Arshad H Abbasi, an eminent water expert of Pakistan, has written a letter to António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations, under the title of ‘A Humanitarian Crisis in the Making: The Indus Waters Treaty and India’s Actions.

In this letter, he said that “Under the provisions of the IWT, India is permitted to store up to 0.25 million acre-feet (MAF) of water for general and power storage in Ladakh. But in a shocking disregard for these limits, India has developed plans that far exceed these allowances.

“Over the years, India has constructed hydropower projects in Ladakh, including Nimoo Bazgo and Chutak, with capacities of 45MW and 44MW.

He requested an investigation into how the UNFCCC, a crucial organ of the UN, awarded carbon credits to India for the controversial Nimoo Bazgo and Chutak hydropower projects. “Both projects are located on the Indus River in Ladakh, and both were undertaken without prior consultation with Pakistan or the required transboundary assessment.”

Abbasi called upon the United Nations to take swift action to reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty.

Moreover, the Pakistani government consistently raised questions over Indian water infrastructure in occupied Kashmir, calling it a threat that could be exploited during times of political tension. The latest wave of hydropower initiatives has only deepened Islamabad’s apprehensions.