NEW DELHI: Citing Pakistani “intransigence” and unilateral actions related to the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India has sent a notice to Islamabad for its modification. Despite the World Bank asking India and Pakistan to find a mutually agreeable way, instead of seeking separate processes, to address Pakistan’s objections to Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad’s refusal to discuss the issue with India led to the government’s notice.
The World Bank, which is also a signatory to IWT, in October last year appointed not just a neutral expert to examine the issue but also, at Pakistan’s insistence, a Court of Arbitration chairman, despite acknowledging India’s concern that carrying out the two processes concurrently posed practical and legal challenges. The court, which Pakistan claims has been set up under IWT provisions, is hearing the case in The Hague.
India is also hoping the modification will lead to an update of IWT by incorporating the “lessons learned” over the last 62 years. India and Pakistan had negotiated for nine years before finally signing in 1960 the IWT, which facilitates cooperation and exchange of information between them for use of river waters. While many have called upon the government to review its role in IWT because of Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism, the treaty is still cited among most successful international treaties for having survived conflicts, including wars.
India has provided Pakistan 90 days to enter negotiations for rectifying the “material breach” of IWT. While Islamabad had itself requested appointment of a neutral expert in 2015 to examine the designs of the projects, a year later it proposed instead before the World Bank that a Court of Arbitration look into its objections.
“This unilateral action by Pakistan was in contravention of the graded mechanism of dispute settlement envisaged by IWT,” said a source, adding that India accordingly had made a separate request for the matter to be referred to a neutral expert.
For India, as government sources said, two processes and the potential of their inconsistent or contradictory outcomes created an unprecedented and legally untenable situation, which risked endangering IWT itself.
The World Bank, in fact, acknowledged the same in 2016 as it paused the initiation of two parallel processes, called upon India and Pakistan to seek an “amicable” way out. Pakistan, however, refused to discuss the issue in all five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022. Parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of IWT, according to Indian authorities.
“India has always been a steadfast supporter and a responsible partner in implementing the IWT in letter and spirit. However, Pakistan’s actions have adversely impinged on the provisions of IWT and their implementation, and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT,” said a source.
As the World Bank says, IWT, provides a framework for irrigation and hydropower development, allocating the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India. At the same time, it also allows each country certain uses of the rivers allocated to the other.

DEHRADUN: After a six-month winter break, the Char Dham yatra for 2023 is all set to start on April 22 and the portals of the revered Badrinath dham, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, will open at 7.10am on April 27.
This year, large parts of Joshimath — the gateway to Badrinath — have been severely impacted by land subsidence, with cracks on many of its buildings and roads. But, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said preparations for the yatra will not be affected by the problems in the ancient town, many of whose residents have vacated their homes and live in temporary shelters.
Work on the Helang bypass road, which would have provided an alternate route to Badrinath and skirted Joshimath, has come to a standstill following protests by local residents and advice from experts. It will remain on halt until studies that are underway suggest otherwise.
The Uttarakhand CM added: “Around 100 days are left for the start of the Badrinath yatra and we will ensure that all the preparations are in place. Pilgrims’ safety is to be kept in mind as well. Last year, there was a record turnout and this year, too, we expect a positive response from devotees.”
The Badrinath portal-opening date was announced in the presence of the Tehri royal family on Basant Panchami on Thursday, according to the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the body administering the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines.
Portals of Gangotri Dham and Yamunotri dham will open for devotees on Akshaya Tritiya, April 22. The date of opening of Kedarnath dham would be decided on the occasion of Maha Shivratri on February 18. The Kedarnath portal may open on April 25-26, sources said.
BKTC chairman Ajendra Ajay told TOI on Friday: “There will be no problem during the Badrinath yatra. On the basis of the expert committees’ findings, we’ll carry out the required work.”
In 2022, the yatra commenced on May 3 with the opening of the doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri after a six-month winter break. While Badrinath had a maximum footfall of 17.6 lakh, it was followed by Kedarnath with 15.6 lakh, Gangotri 6.2 lakh and Yamunotri 4.8 lakh.
Last year, Hemkund Sahib yatra, too, witnessed a huge response with over 2.4 lakh pilgrims at the revered Sikh shrine in Chamoli district. The total pilgrim footfall in 2022 was in excess of 45 lakh, as per state administration data.

SRINAGAR: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Friday claimed that a security lapse forced him to abandon the 11km leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra into Kashmir from Jammu after walking around 500 metres in the company of National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, who had braved the chill to twin with the former in a white T-shirt. J&K Police, however, rejected the charge and said there was no lapse.
“Police personnel who were supposed to manage the crowd were nowhere to be seen. I had to call off my walk because I can’t go against my security people,” PTI quoted Rahul as saying at Khanabal in Anantnag. He had crossed the Jawahar Tunnel from Jammu’s Banihal in a bulletproof vehicle and walked less than a kilometre towards the gateway to Kashmir division when the alleged security lapse brought his march to a halt.
Gandhi said he hoped the administration would ensure there are no further crowd-control or other security hiccups during the remainder of his march, scheduled to culminate in Srinagar on January 30.
Tagging Rahul in a tweet, Omar said, “I’m witness to this. The outer ring of the cordon which was maintained by J&K police simply vanished within minutes of @RahulGandhi starting to walk. We had just crossed in to Kashmir from Jammu & were looking forward to the 11km walk, but unfortunately it had to be cancelled.”
The day’s march from Banihal in Ramban district was to end at Vessu in Anantnag. “Politics has its place, but by playing with Rahul Gandhi’s security in J&K, the government has stooped to its lowest level,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
J&K Police contested allegations of poor crowd management when Rahul’s march entered Qazigund. “JKP wasn’t consulted before taking any decision on discontinuation of the yatra… There was no security lapse at all. We will provide foolproof security,” additional DGP Vijay Kumar said. “Security arrangements for the march include deployment of 15 companies of central armed police forces and 10 companies of J&K Police, besides route domination.”
The morning had started with Omar causing a flutter with his display of sartorial solidarity with Rahul. The former J&K CM had initially refused to join the march over Congress extending a similar invitation to the controversial former minister and MP Lal Singh. Rahul ended up snubbing Singh’s supporters when they raised slogans in his support at Kathua.

NEW DELHI: Washington Sundar scored a fighting maiden T20I fifty but could not stop hosts India from suffering a 21-run defeat against New Zealand at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. With the victory, New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing a competitive 177-run target, Sundar scored a quick 50, off 28 balls, but failed to take India home as New Zealand bowlers led by Mitchell Santner (2/11) and Michael Bracewell (2/31) restricted the hosts to 155 for 9 in their 20 overs in the end.
As it happened: India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I
Suryakumar Yadav (47 off 34) and skipper Hardik Pandya (21 off 20) added 68 runs for the fourth wicket to revive the India chase after a disastrous start. India lost three early wickets for just 15 in 3.1 overs. But the fall of both the set batters in the span of five balls derailed the run chase as they were reduced to 89/5 in 12.2 overs from 83/3 in 11.3 overs.
Sundar tried to keep the packed fans’ hopes alive with some cracking shots, hitting three sixes and five fours, but losing wickets at regular intervals on the other end did not allow India to make a comeback in the game. Sundar was the last India batter to fall with just one ball left in the innings as New Zealand registered a comfortable win.

Sent in to bat, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell conjured up fluent and fiery half-centuries before the spinners choked the hosts.
Asked to take first strike, opener Conway continued his purple patch with a 35-ball 52, while Mitchell smashed a 30-ball unbeaten 59, which included a last-over thrashing of Arshdeep Singh for 27 runs, to power the Black Caps to a challenging 176 for six.
The Kiwi bowlers then spun a web around the home batters, restricting India to 155/9.
India had a disastrous start to their chase with both Ishan Kishan (4) and Rahul Tripathi (0) sent back to the pavilion by the third over.
While Ishan was bamboozled by Bracewell, pacer Jacob Duffy (1/27) induced a fine edge off Rahul’s blade. Shubman Gill (7) too perished soon after being deceived by Santner as India slumped to 15 for three.

Suryakumar, however, looked in good touch as he picked up two boundaries before picking one off his hips for a six off Lockie Ferguson (1/22).
Santner then bowled a maiden as India reached 33 for three in the powerplay overs.
With the pitch offering grip and turn, New Zealand spinners controlled the proceedings keeping it flat and mixing the length even as Hardik unleashed a drive over extra cover to ease the pressure.
Suryakumar too brought out his range of sweep shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. When Blair Tickner was introduced, he played a square cut and then sent another one through backward point for successive fours as India reached 74 for 3 in 10 overs.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was then sent inside out over extra cover for a maximum but New Zealand struck twice in next five balls to remove both the set batters. While Surya chipped one off Sodhi to Finn Allen at long on, Hardik was caught and bowled by Bracewell as it all went downhill after that.

Deepak Hooda smacked one over the rope before being stumped. Santner then ran out Shivam Mavi. Ferguson bowled a wicket maiden, removing Kuldeep. Sundar smashed a fighting fifty but it was too late.
Earlier, Indian bowlers struggled to get their line and length, allowing New Zealand to get off to a good start.
Allen (35) smashed Hardik for successive boundaries, while a juicy half volley from Arshdeep was hit straight to the boundary. Conway, who had scored 138 in the third ODI in Indore, also punished the left-arm pacer for a widish ball as New Zealand put up 23 in two overs.
Sundar, however, got a lot of purchase from the wicket and soon saw the back of Allen and Mark Chapman (0) in the space of five deliveries to reduce New Zealand to 43 for 2.
Conway, however, kept it going with two fours and a six off Umran Malik, who bled 16 runs in his only over.
Hardik brought himself back and tried to mix his bowling, using more cutters and slower deliveries as New Zealand reached 79 for 2 in 10 overs. Conway used the slog sweep and his feet to pick up boundaries off Kuldeep and Hooda as New Zealand crossed the 100-mark in the 13th over.
Kuldeep then struck with a googly as Glenn Phillips went for a slog, only to be holed out by Surya at deep midwicket.
Daryl Mitchell then joined Conway and, after surviving two video referrals for a caught behind and an LBW, blasted Hardik for two maximums.
Conway, on the other hand, completed his fifty in the 16th over but was sent packing soon by Arshdeep with Hooda taking the catch at long-off. Ishan Kishan then ran out new man Bracewell (1) and Shivam Mavi had Santner (7) caught by Rahul Tripathi as India seemed to have pulled things back.
However, Arshdeep conceded 27 runs in the last over, with Mitchell clobbering him for three sixes and a four.
The two teams will now meet again in the second match of the series in Lucknow on Sunday.
(With inputs from PTI)

NEW DELHI: A hint of the Narendra Modi government’s rethink on the Indus water treaty came for the first time in September 2016. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” the prime minister had told officials attending a treaty review meeting that took place 11 days after Pakistan backed terrorists attacked the Indian Army base at Uri in Jammu, killing 18 soldiers.
Less than two years later, the prime minister in May 2018 inaugurated the 330 MW (megawatt) Kishanganga hydel project at Bandipore and laid the foundation stone for the 1,000 MW Pakal-Dul plant at Kishtwar in Jammu & Kashmir.
Indeed, two other large hydel projects – the 1,856 MW Sawalkote and 800 MW Bursar – were also fast-tracked soon after the September 2016 treaty review meeting mentioned earlier.
Situated on two tributaries of Chenab – Kishanganga and Marusudar, respectively – the projects indicated the government was ready to respond to Islamabad’s use of terror against India with every option, including denying Pakistan liberal flow of Indus water in excess of the 1960 treaty’s provisions.

The launch of the Pakal-Dul project, which has been hanging fire for a decade, underlined the Modi government’s intent to fast-track infrastructure on the Indus water system, to maximise India’s water use within the treaty’s ambit. This includes building hydel projects on western tributaries of Indus such as Chenab and Jhelum as well as streams feeding them.
Since then, the Centre has fast-tracked a slew of stalled hydel projects aggregating nearly 4,000 MW capacity in Jammu & Kashmir, with Modi in April last year laying the foundation stones of 850 MW Ratle and 540 MW Kwar hydroelectric projects on Chenab in Kishtwar.

A 2011 report by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had said India could use these projects as a way to control Pakistan’s supply from the Indus, considered its jugular.
“The cumulative effect of these projects could give India the ability to store enough water to limit the supply to Pakistan at crucial moments in the growing season,” the report had said.
Clearly, speeding up pending hydel projects and storage infrastructure is a key component of India’s Indus strategy as the treaty in its present form allows India to build storage capacities on the western rivers upto 3.6 million acre feet (MAF) for various purposes, including domestic use.

NEW DELHI: The Ranchi crowd went berserk after former India captain MS Dhoni was seen on the big screen during the first T20I between India and New Zealand on Friday.
The local lad, Dhoni made his appearance with wife Sakshi to watch the opening match of the three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

Earlier on Thursday, Dhoni gave Team India players a pleasant surprise as he visited the team’s dressing room. Dhoni was seen first having a chat with T20 skipper Hardik Pandya and then with young wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan.
The former captain is also seen interacting with opener Shubman Gill, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar as well as the support staff.

Coming to the match, opener Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell hit quickfire fifties to guide New Zealand to 176-6. Conway, a left-hand batsman, made 52 off 35 balls and Mitchell smashed an unbeaten 59 to take on the Indian attack, which got regular wickets but leaked runs.
New Zealand started strongly after being invited to bat first, with Finn Allen hitting a brisk 35 as the opener got regular boundaries, including two sixes.
Spinner Washington Sundar cut short Allen’s stay as the batsman mistimed a hit to deep mid-wicket, and struck again in the over to get Mark Chapman caught and bowled for nought.

NEW DELHI: India has issued a notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) amid Islamabad’s’ “intransigence” on its implementation.
The notice was sent on January 25 through respective commissioners for Indus waters, stressing that the neighbouring country’s actions have adversely impinged on the provisions of the pact.
What is the notice about?
According to sources, the objective of the notice for modification is to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into inter-governmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT.
This process would also update IWT to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years, sources said.
According to sources, Pakistan’s action is a breach of the graded mechanism of dispute settlement envisaged by Article IX of IWT. India thus made a separate request for the matter to be referred to a neutral expert.
“The initiation of two simultaneous processes on the same questions and the potential of their inconsistent or contradictory outcomes creates an unprecedented and legally untenable situation, which risks endangering the IWT itself,” the source said.
“The World Bank acknowledged this itself in 2016, and took a decision to ‘pause’ the initiation of two parallel processes and request India and Pakistan to seek an amicable way out,” it said.
What is Indus Waters Treaty?
At the time of Independence, the boundary line between the two newly created countries — Pakistan and India — was drawn right across the Indus Basin, leaving Pakistan as the lower riparian and India as the upper riparian.
Two important irrigation works, one at Madhopur on the Ravi river and the other at Ferozepur on the Sutlej river, on which the irrigation canal supplies in Punjab (Pakistan) had been completely dependent, fell in the Indian territory.
A dispute thus arose between the two countries regarding the utilisation of irrigation water from existing facilities. Negotiations held under the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) culminated in the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960.

Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, the then President of Pakistan, Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Indian Prime Minister, and W A B Illif of the World Bank on September 19, 1960 signed the treaty in Karachi with its effective date being April 1. It has a preamble, 12 articles and eight detailed annexures.
What are the provisions under the treaty?
As per the provisions, India has an absolute control of all the waters of eastern rivers of the Indus — Ravi, Sutlej and Beas.
Pakistan shall receive for unrestricted use all those waters of the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — which India is under obligation to let flow beyond the permitted uses.
According to the treaty, all the waters of the eastern rivers with average annual flow of around 33 million acre feet (MAF) are allocated to India for unrestricted use, while the waters of western rivers with average annual flow of around 135 MAF is allocated largely to Pakistan.
India is permitted to use the waters of the western rivers for domestic use, non-consumptive use, agricultural and generation of hydro-electric power.
The right to generate hydroelectricity from the western rivers is unrestricted subject to the conditions for design and operation of the treaty. As per the pact, India can also create storages up to 3.6 MAF on the western rivers.
The treaty also enables India and Pakistan to establish a permanent post of Commissioner for Indus Waters. The two commissioners constitute the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC).
Unless either government should decide to take up any particular issue directly with the other, each commissioner will be the representative of his government for all matters arising out of this treaty.
What is the problem?
India uses or can use this water resource in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
But these states are also supplied with water from Yamuna, a tributary of the Ganga. For Pakistan, the Indus system is its lifeline as it heavily depends on its Punjab province to feed the rest of the country.
Every time India makes a move to use its quota of water or build a dam as allowed under the treaty, Pakistan objects, fuelling tension between the two countries.
India is constructing two hydroelectric power projects (HEPs) — the Kishenganga HEP on the Kishenganga, a tributary of the Jhelum — and the Ratle HEP on the Chenab. Pakistan has objected to these projects.
In 2015, Pakistan requested for appointment of a neutral expert to examine its technical objections to India’s Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs).
In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate on its objections.
According to sources, despite repeated efforts by India to find a mutually agreeable way forward, Pakistan refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022.
They said that at Pakistan’s continuing insistence, the World Bank has recently initiated actions on both the neutral expert and Court of Arbitration processes.
The sources added that such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of IWT.

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders rarely miss an opportunity to pan V D Savarkar but the Hindutva ideologue’s face somehow keeps ending up on the party’s publicity material.
In the second such major embarrassment for the party, a Kerala Congress leader posted a Republic Day greetings on his Facebook page with Savarkar’s image among other freedom fighters. The Facebook post quickly went viral on social media.
Other party workers soon raised objection to the poster and Kasaragod district congress committee president P K Faisal immediately deleted his post.
He said the mistake was made by the designer of the poster. “It was a mistake done by the designer of the poster for Republic Day. My Facebook account was being handled by my office staff. We have rectified it and the Indian National Congress does not need to endorse people like Savarkar,” Faisal told reporters.
Previous incident
Last September, a picture of Savarkar featured on an 88-foot-long banner erected as part of welcoming the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ernakulam district.
The banner at Aluva was put up by Congress workers and had Savarkar’s image between those of Govind Ballabh Pant and Chandra Shekhar Azad.
When notified of the goof-up, Congress workers rushed to the spot to pin Mahatma Gandhi’s poster over Savarkar’s image.
The Indian National Trade Union Congress’s president of the Chengamanad constituency was suspended over the incident.

NEW DELHI: Ashish Mishra, the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case and son of Union minister Ajay K Mishra, was released from prison on Friday.
On January 25, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Ashish Mishra for eight weeks, with certain conditions.
However, release orders were only issued on Friday. “He (Ashish Mishra) has been released from the jail. We have got the release order from the sessions court,” said senior superintendent of the Kheri district jail, Vipin Kumar Mishra.
Mishra is facing a case of murder for the incident that took place on October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Mishra allegedly ran over the farmers who were protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws. He was arrested on October 9.
Cannot stay in Delhi, UP
In its bail order, the SC directed Mishra to inform authorities about his location at all times. It also said that any attempt by Mishra or his family to influence witnesses or delay the trial would lead to cancellation of bail.
He was released on the condition that he would not stay in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh during the entire bail period.
The Uttar Pradesh government last week had opposed Mishra’s bail plea stating that the alleged offences against the accused were “grave in nature, and granting bail in such matters may impact the society adversely”.
Appearing on behalf of Mishra, senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi said his client was not a danger to society.
On July 26 last year, the Allahabad High Court had denied bail to Mishra. The accused then challenged the order in the SC.