Baglihar Dam: The Bone of Contention in Indo-Pak Relations
- Aditi Sharma
- June 28, 2020
Content :
Ever since the partition in 1947 which led to making of two different countries, India and Pakistan, there have been many issues which have come up. These issues vary from difference on land distribution, like the Pakistan even today claims that Kashmir is a part of their territory to water distribution. Pakistan is depended on the rivers which flow from India for 80% of its water usage. This is the reason why India and Pakistan had to sign Indus Water Treaty in 1960. This treaty has survived even though India and Pakistan don’t have good relations. The biggest good done by the treaty is that it has provided for three rivers, viz., Ravi, Sutluj, Beas, to India and the other three tributaries of the Indus river, viz., Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, to Pakistan. But the thing to notice is that all the above six mentioned rivers originate from India. This is why there are a few people who believe that the Indus Water Treaty has been excessively generous to Pakistan. On the Contrary Pakistan feels that it has not got much to do with in the Treaty. Baglihar Hydroelectric Project which had been in limelight a few years back is one such example where Pakistan feels that there has been violation of the Treaty. Baglihar dam which is a run-of-the-river power project was a legit work India has done but Pakistan feared that India could have wrongly affected the water supply downstream. This research paper analysis the legitimacy of the project; the provisions provided to both the countries by the treaty and how foreign laws are applicable here.
