Experts align with Omar's view, saying revival of Tulbul Navigation Project will yield socio-economic benefits for J&K
may have slammed
CM
over his call for reviving the
Tulbul Navigation Project
, but he has echoed India's long-term interests, with experts flagging how its implementation will yield
socio-economic benefits
for the entire UT.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The project, also known as the
Wular Barrage
, is a navigation lock-cum-control structure located at the outlet of the country's largest freshwater lake, Wular, in J&K. It was designed to facilitate navigation on the Jhelum river during lean winter months (Oct-Feb) but was stalled by Pakistan citing the
(IWT).
As the treaty is in abeyance following the last month Pahalgam terror attack, experts, who have tracked the project's development ever since it was stalled by Pakistan in 1987, believe that its implementation can be the most immediate step for the benefit of J&K.
'It is time for India to finally break ground on the long-stalled Tulbul Navigation Project,' said Uttam Sinha, a senior fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses. He rues that for nearly four decades, the 'developmental aspirations' of the people of Kashmir were 'sacrificed at the altar of diplomatic caution' even as its implementation falls well within the treaty.
'It is a matter of interpretation.
India has long held the view that regulating depletion of naturally stored water for use of navigation, which is non-consumptive, is permissible under the IWT,' said Sinha.
Kushvinder Vohra, former Central Water Commission chairperson, echoed similar views and explained how the project will help in better flood and water management through the Wular lake, and also help in tackling drainage congestion downstream.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
'It shall help in maintaining requisite water depth in the Jhelum below the Wular lake during the lean period so that navigation can be maintained throughout the year,' said Vohra, noting that it will also have an 'incidental benefit' of increase in power production through
hydro-electric projects
.
But why was the project stalled when it falls well within the treaty? After all, non-consumptive use is permitted to India under the IWT which includes control or use of water for navigation, provided these do not prejudice downstream uses of waters by Pakistan.
Islamabad could never establish any prejudice to their downstream uses by the construction of the structure.
Pakistan during multiple secretary-level talks in the past flagged that the project structure is a barrage with a storage capacity of around 0.3 million acre feet (0.369 billion cubic metre) and that India is not permitted to construct any storage facility on the main stem of the Jhelum river.
Sinha said, 'It's a matter of interpretation..
.Now, the suspension (of the IWT) paves the way for a more assertive water strategy...Implementation of the Tulbul project is the most immediate step that can be taken.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Quad meeting: Pahalgam terror attack was economic warfare, says Jaishankar; rules out yielding to nuclear blackmail
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday described the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir as an act of economic warfare designed to destroy the region's tourism and provoke communal violence. He said that India would not be deterred by nuclear threats and would continue to act against terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Speaking at a Newsweek event at One World Trade Center in New York, Jaishankar said the attack was meant to cripple Kashmir's economy by targeting its core sector — tourism — and incite religious violence. 'It was meant to destroy tourism in Kashmir, which was the mainstay of the economy. It was also meant to provoke religious violence because people were asked to identify their faith before they were killed,' he said. Jaishankar added that India's response, through Operation Sindoor , targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 'These are terrorist organisations who have the equivalent of their corporate headquarters in the populated towns of Pakistan... and those are the buildings, the headquarters that India destroyed,' he said. He underlined India's clear position that there would be no impunity for terrorists. 'We will not deal with them any longer as proxies and spare the government which supports and finances and in many ways, motivates them. We will not allow nuclear blackmail to prevent us from responding,' he stated. Jaishankar criticised the long-standing argument that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and hence New Delhi must act with restraint. 'Now we are not going to fall for that... If he is going to come and do things, we are going to go there and also hit the people who did this,' he said, drawing applause from the audience. He emphasised that terrorism is a global threat and no country should use it as a tool for political ends. 'There should be zero tolerance for terrorism, no justification under which a country would allow, support, finance or sponsor terrorist acts,' he said. The foreign minister is currently on an official visit to the United States and is scheduled to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday. He began his visit by inaugurating a UN exhibition titled The Human Cost of Terrorism, organised by India's Permanent Mission to the UN. Recalling India's long struggle with cross-border terrorism, Jaishankar said it dated back to 1947, when Pakistan first sent tribal invaders into Kashmir. He referenced major attacks including the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai carnage as part of this continued campaign. During the Q&A session, Jaishankar was asked about Donald Trump's claim that he used trade to prevent a recent India-Pakistan conflict. Jaishankar dismissed any impact on negotiations, stating that trade talks were proceeding professionally. He also disclosed a crucial moment from May 9, when Vice President JD Vance warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a possible Pakistani offensive. 'The Prime Minister was impervious to what the Pakistanis were threatening... he indicated that there would be a response,' Jaishankar said. He added that Pakistan launched a major attack that night, which India swiftly countered. 'The next morning, Mr (Secretary of State Marco) Rubio called me up and said the Pakistanis were ready to talk,' Jaishankar said, recounting the diplomatic sequence that followed India's retaliation.
India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
India will defend its people against terror: Jaishankar tells Quad leaders in US
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday strongly asserted that India has every right to defend its people against terrorism and will not hesitate to exercise that right. Speaking in Washington, DC, at the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jaishankar underlined India's firm position on zero tolerance towards terrorism and made it clear that the country expects its partners to understand and support this his counterparts from the US, Australia, and Japan in attendance, Jaishankar said, "The world must display zero tolerance (towards terrorism). Victims and perpetrators must never be equated and India has every right to defend its people against terrorism. And we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that." Jaishankar's comments come against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, India's robust military response to the April 22 Pahalgam carnage which left 26 people dead, mostly civilians. India had responded to the Pahalgam attack by launching targeted strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). India further launched strikes on Pakistani military facilities, including air defence systems, radar sites, and command-and-control centres in response to Islamabad's unprovoked retaliatory actions were taken between May 8 and 10, after which Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart over the hotline, leading to a ceasefire agreement on May in New York, during a conversation with Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad, Jaishankar had reinforced this message by stating, "We are not going to fall for that. If he is going to come and do things, we are going to go there and also hit the people who did this. So no yielding to nuclear blackmail, no impunity to terrorists, no more free pass that they are proxies. And we will do what we have to do to defend our people."At the Quad meeting, Jaishankar also spoke about the grouping's shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and the importance of ensuring freedom of choice for nations in the region."It is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice so essential to make right decisions on development and security," he said, adding that Quad's initiatives have progressed significantly in the maritime domain, logistics, education, and political that the Quad must become more cohesive, nimble and focused, he said, "Quad is about deepening our convergence and expanding our common ground. I value our consultations on different dimensions of the Indo-Pacific in that regard."India has proposed hosting the next Quad Summit and Jaishankar noted that New Delhi had some proposals to make the meeting productive, expressing confidence that the partners would align their are all committed to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. To that end, our endeavours are devoted to promoting a rules-based international order," he said.S Jaishankar's visit to the US from June 30 to July 2 marks his second visit to Washington this year for a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting. - EndsMust Watch
India Today
9 hours ago
- India Today
Super premium frequent flier: Congress's swipe at PM Modi for 5-nation tour
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit abroad, the Congress on Tuesday said the "frequent-flier PM" is off on a five-nation "jaunt" and alleged that he is running away from four issues, including the Manipur situation and US President Donald Trump's claims about bringing a ceasefire between India and general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh also alleged that the prime minister is running away from the "revelations by defence officials that India suffered reverses in the first two days of Operation Sindoor because of the PM's decisions".advertisementPrime Minister Modi will embark on a five-nation tour beginning July 2 to participate in the BRICS Summit in Brazil and expand India's ties with several key nations of the Global South. "When the going gets tough, the self-styled toughs get going. The Super Premium Frequent Flier PM is off on a 5-nation, 8-day jaunt," Ramesh said in a post on is running away from at least four issues that are agitating the nation, Ramesh alleged that the PM is running away from Manipur, "which he has not visited ever since the double engine in the state got derailed and ever since normal life in the state has got totally destroyed".The Congress leader claimed that PM Modi is also running away from revelations by defence officials that India suffered reverses in the first two days of Operation Sindoor "because of the PM's decisions".advertisementHis remarks were an apparent reference to the reported comments of India's defence attache to Indonesia. However, the Indian embassy in Indonesia, in a post on X on Sunday, said that the defence attache's remarks have been "quoted out of context and the media reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker".Ramesh also claimed that the PM is running away from the continued claims by President Trump that he effected a ceasefire between India and Pakistan using the trade deal as a carrot and further alleged that the PM is running away from "the continued failure to bring the Pahalgam terrorists to justice even after 70 days"."The failure is all the more glaring given they may have been earlier involved in terror attacks in Poonch (Dec 2023) and Gagangir & Gulmarg (Oct 2024)," Ramesh Brazil, Modi will visit Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia during the eight-day trip, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).In the first leg of the visit, Modi will undertake a visit to Ghana from July 2 to Ghana, Modi will travel to Trinidad and Tobago on a two-day visit from July 3 to the third leg of his visit, Modi will visit Argentina from July 4 to the fourth leg of his visit, Modi will travel to Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da prime minister will visit Brazil from July 5 to 8 to attend the 17th BRICS Summit, followed by a state the final leg of his visit, Modi will travel to Namibia.- EndsMust Watch
