Various bodies of Punjab farmers have expressed their dissatisfaction over the inconclusive talks between Pakistan's Indus Water Commissioner and his Indian counterpart in New Delhi to resolve the river Chenab water dispute.
Convenor Punjab Water Council Farooque Bajwa said millions of farmers under the river Chenab command area in the northern and central Punjab only want their .0.5 million acre feet water that India blocked in Baglihar dam in August/September 2008 in violation of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty between the two countries.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Saturday, Bajwa said " we had made it clear to the Pakistani Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah before his departure for New Delhi that Punjab farmers do not want any compensation for damage to our crops due to drought caused by India but the river Chenab water stored or stolen by India in Baglihar dam. "
He said Pakistan government should insist that India must supply the 0.5 MAF stolen water in February 2009 when there would be very low inflows in our rivers and dams. Expressing similar views, Chairman Agri Forum Pakistan Ibrahim Mughal said that Jamaat Ali Shah had no mandate to bargain Pakistan's share of water with any sort of "compensation".
He said under the Indus Water Treaty Pakistan has an exclusive right over the Chenab River water, which could not be bargained for any amount of compensation by any official or authority. He said Punjab farmers would never accept this meek stand.
He said farmers are the real stakeholders in this dispute as river Chenab water is the lifeline for over 60 million population of Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Lahore, Okara, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Multan and Muzaffargarh districts.
He demanded that in future negotiations with India, the government must consult the farmers' bodies before formulating its policy or stand, since this is a matter of life and death for the farmers, which could not be left to the government officials.
Pakistan's Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah and the Indian Water Commissioner G Ranganathan held two-day talks in New Delhi this week on reduction of Chenab water flow at Head Marala near Sialkot due to Indian blockade of water in Baglihar dam in occupied Kashmir.
Shah demanded that India should compensate Pakistan for losses it suffered due to blockade of 0.2 million-acre ft water at a critical maturity stage of its cash Kharif crops, rice, cotton and sugarcane. India denied that it violated the provisions of 1960 Indus Water Treaty and rejected Pakistan's demand for water compensation. However the two countries agreed to continue the water dispute talks.
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