India to expedite construction of dams along Indus tributaries

India is likely to expedite the construction of new hydropower plants on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers that flow into Pakistan, within the legal confines of the decades-old Indus Water Treaty. This announcement comes at a point when relations between the two countries are at the lowest ever since the Narendra Modi government has come to power in India.

According to a report, in meeting held yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told officials that India should use more water from the rivers that come under the treaty. This could be seen as part of a diplomatic offensive launched by the Indian government against its neighbour, after Modi virtually ruled out any military action on Sunday in a meeting. Earlier, on September 18, Indian soldiers were killed in a terror attack in the Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir, following which ties between the two countries are strained to breaking point.

On Monday, speaking at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took Pakistan to task by blaming it for originating, sheltering, and breeding terror .

The water treaty goes back to 1960, when it was signed to resolve all water-related disputes between the two countries. It has been immune to three wars fought between the two countries, but observers have accused the Indian governments over the years of not exploiting the full potential of hydropower from the rivers that come under the agreement.

At present, India produces 3000 megawatts of power from the hydropower plants along the rivers, while the full capacity is said to be of 18000 megawatts