India studying water treaty, water will flow to Rajasthan, Punjab not Pakistan: Nitin Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari has said India is studying the Indus Water Treaty. (Image: India Today)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Union minister Nitin Gadkari said India is studying the Indus Water Treaty
• Gadkari said India is not bound to follow the Indus treaty
• The minister blamed Pakistan for not holding up the spirit of the treaty

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has once again raked up the Indus Water Treaty issue and said that India is studying the water sharing agreement and will be re-channelling the water to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan instead of giving it to Pakistan.

Minister for Water Resources, Nitin Gadkari said, "Water is going to Pakistan from 3 rivers, we don't want to stop that. But the basis of water treaty between India and Pakistan were peaceful relations and friendship which have completely vanished. So we are not bound to follow this treaty."

Gadkari added, "Pakistan is continuously supporting terrorists. If Pakistan doesn't stops terrorism, we won't have any other option but to stop river water to Pakistan. So India has started internally studying it. The water will go to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan."

In the days after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, Gadkari had threatened that India will stop sharing water with Pakistan.

Earlier in February, slamming Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, Gadkari had asked what is the point of continuing the Indus Water Treaty if its spirit of mutual love, harmony and cordial relations is not being honoured by the neighbouring country.

He had said that India has decided to stop the flow of river water to Pakistan under the treaty.

Under the Indus Water Treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all waters of the three easters rivers, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas, averaging around 33 million acre feet (MAF), would go to India for exclusive use.

The waters of western rivers -- Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab -- averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the treaty.

SOURCE