New Delhi (Sputnik): India is pondering whether to divert its river waters flowing into Pakistan, as it is disappointed by Islamabad's consistent support to terrorists, Indian Minister for Shipping and Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.
The government plans to divert river waters flowing downwards to Pakistan to the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, according to an India Today report.
Peaceful relations formed the base of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, due to which India diverts a number of rivers to Pakistan, the minister pointed out.
India is not bound to follow the Indus Waters Treaty if Pakistan doesn't hold up the spirit of the agreement, Gadkari added.
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2019
"Water is going to Pakistan from three rivers, we don't want to stop that. But the basis of the water treaty between India and Pakistan were peaceful relations and friendship which have completely vanished. So we are not bound to follow this treaty," the minister said.
"Pakistan is continuously supporting terrorists. If Pakistan doesn't stop 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," he added.
Under the Indus Water Treaty, all the water from three eastern rivers, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas, averaging around 33 million acre-feet (MAF), are diverted to India for exclusive use.
The western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — averaging around 135 MAF, are allocated to Pakistan except for domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as outlined in the treaty.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting terrorists and having a "direct hand" in the Kashmir attack. Pakistan, however, has rejected all allegations.
