Blood and water can't flow together': Modi's message to Pak on Indus Treaty

New Delhi: In a stern message to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said ‘blood and water cannot flow together,’ during his meeting on India Water Treaty in the national capital.

Despite the Prime Minister’s hard-hitting statement, sources in the Water Ministry have said that India will not scrap the water treaty with Pakistan, amidst heightened tension between the two countries in the wake of the recent Uri attack which was carried out by Pak-based militants. However, India has decided to use it “fullest legal rights in the treaty” and will make greater use of waters that are crucial to Pakistan.

Government sources said India will exploit to the maximum the capacity of Pak-
controlled rivers -- Indus, Chenab, Jhelum as per the Indus Treaty. Sources also said that India may take further action, depending on Pakistan's response.

Apart from deciding to exploit to the maximum the capacity of three of the rivers that are under Pakistan's control in the areas of hydro power, irrigation and storage, the meeting also agreed to review the "unilateral suspension" of Tulbul navigation project in 1987.

The sources asserted that the decision to maximise the water resources for irrigation will address the "pre-existing" sentiment of people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have complained in the past about the treaty not being fair to them.

Modi had chaired the meeting to review the Indus Water treaty with Pakistan, which was attended by top officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, the Water Resources Secretary, and senior PMO officials.

The review was undertaken as India weighs options to give a befitting response to Pakistan in the wake of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers dead.

There have been consistent calls in India that the government scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack.

Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six river - Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum - were to be shared between the two countries.

Pakistan has been complaining of not receiving enough water and gone for international arbitration in couple of cases.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had said last week that his state will fully support whatever decision is taken by the Union government on the 1960 agreement.

"The treaty has caused huge loss to Jammu and Kashmir" as the people of the state cannot fully utilise the waters of various rivers, particularly Chenab in Jammu, for agricultural and other activities, Singh had said.

"The state government will support whatever decision is taken by the central government on Indus Waters Treaty," he had said.

India had last week made it clear that "mutual trust and cooperation" was important for such a treaty to work.