All about India's canal expansion strategy to reduce Indus water flow to Pakistan

In a bid to utilise the water of the Indus rivers and probably to reduce the flow of water to Pakistan, India is planning to revamp and expand the canals on the Indus river system after it suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

What is India’s plan?

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Centre has decided to rebuild and expand the canals on Chenab and Ravi on a priority basis. As part of the plan, India is planning to conduct desilting work in the Ranbir, New Partap, Ranjan, Tawi Lift, Paragwal, and Kathua canals and Ravi canals to increase their water-carrying capacity.

The project will be executed in phases by the Jammu and Kashmir government, while technical guidance will be provided by the Centre.

Even before the Pahalgam terror attack and consequent suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, India had repeatedly pressed for changes in the terms of the treaty, given the changed demographic situation and other requirements.

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Key objectives

An official told Hindustan Times that the main aim of the project is to boost the water-carrying capacity of the canals to cater to the irrigation requirement.

This assumes significance because if the Indus Rivers’ canals are expanded, it would likely reduce the dependence on the unpredictable summer monsoon, which caters to the irrigation requirements of nearly 60 per cent of India’s net-sown area.

“The Jammu region is favourable for year-round agriculture, but water crises have always hampered farming as availability is very limited. Being in the northernmost part of the country, the monsoon arrives very late in J&K and retreats within a few weeks, unlike in the hinterland,” said Abhay Singh, a federal horticulture official, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

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Expanding the Ranbir Canal

The crux of India’s plan revolves around increasing the length of the Ranbir Canal from 60 km to 120 km. This will enable India to divert 150 cubic metres per second from the existing 40 cubic metres per second. The move will significantly reduce the flow of water to Pakistan’s Punjab province, a crucial agricultural region of the neighbouring country. Interestingly, under the Indus Water Treaty, not more than 1000 cusecs of water carried by the Ranbir Canal can be used for irrigation.

‘Partap channels are also a priority’

The Centre is also eyeing the Partap channels. According to media reports, the Old Partap canal used to open on the Chenab River’s right bank near a village called Devipur, about 20 km downstream of the head of the New Partap channel.

Although the New Partap canal is about 34 km long, under the current circumstances, it can cater to the irrigation requirements of only 9030 hectares which according to government officials is not adequate.

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Impact on Pakistan

The move is likely to have a severe impact on agriculture in Pakistan, as the neighbouring country is dependent on the Indus water system for about 80 per cent of its agriculture, reports the Times of India.

Pakistan’s dependence on the Indus water system also became evident in its earlier announcement that any act of diverting water in its share under the Indus Water Treaty will be treated as an “act of war.”