Amit Shah says canal will reroute water to Rajasthan
India has ruled out any possibility of reinstating the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, with Home Minister Amit Shah announcing plans to divert water currently flowing to Pakistan for domestic use.
In an interview with Times of India published on Saturday, Shah stated that the treaty, signed in 1960 to regulate the use of the Indus river system, would remain suspended.
India had placed its participation in the treaty “in abeyance” after 26 civilians were killed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in what New Delhi labelled as a terrorist attack. Although Pakistan denied involvement, the treaty has remained inactive despite a recent ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed nations after their most intense clashes in decades.
“No, it will never be restored,” Shah said.
“We will divert the water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan has been unjustly receiving this water, and we will stop that,” he added, referring to the arid northwestern Indian state.
Last month, Reuters reported that India was preparing to significantly increase its use of water from rivers that supply Pakistani farms, as part of its response to the attack.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on Shah’s remarks, though it has previously warned that any move to block water flows would amount to “an act of war.” Islamabad has also indicated that it is considering legal action under international law against India’s decision to suspend the treaty.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, had guaranteed Pakistan access to waters from three rivers originating in India, securing irrigation for about 80% of its agricultural lands.
