Minister for Road Transport and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari says the water from “eastern rivers” will be diverted to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

India will not allow its share of water from the Indus network of rivers to flow into Pakistan, Minister for Road Transport and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.

Mr. Gadkari reiterated India’s position that has been under consideration, saying the water from the “eastern rivers” that fell in the Indian share would be diverted to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, India has full rights to utilise the waters of the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj rivers, while the waters of the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum belongs to Pakistan.

“Under the leadership of Honourable PM Narendra Modi, our Government has decided to stop our share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. We will divert water from Eastern rivers and supply it to our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab,” Mr. Gadkari tweeted.

Dam construction

Mr. Gadkari announced that the construction of a dam had started at Shahpur-Kanti on the Ravi and the Ujh multi-purpose project would store the Indian share of the water for use in Jammu and Kashmir and the balance water would flow from second the Ravi-Beas link to provide water to other basin States. These schemes had been declared national projects.

Also Read 10 things to know about Indus Water Treaty

On December 6, 2018, the Union Cabinet approved the implementation of the Shahpur-Kanti Dam Project with the allocation of ₹485.38 crore for five years. The project aims to minimise the wastage of water that now goes to Pakistan through the Madhopur Headworks downstream.

The Ujh Project in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, aims to irrigate about 30,000 hectares and produce 300 MW electricity from the waters of the Ujh, a tributary of the Ravi.