Need for a Rational Water Policy in South Asia

South Asia is a contiguous terrain where one ecosystem smoothly transgresses into another. The Himalayan Mountain Range is a common pivotal feature to all South Asian nations, barring Sri Lanka and Maldives, which is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing as it is the mother source of many important waterways providing enormous benefits to all the nations, through which they traverse, and a curse, as harnessing these water-bodies almost always become a bone of contention among the riparian nations Harnessing these water-bodies too has played its crucial role in perpetuating preexisting suspicion and betterness among the countries of the South Asia. 

In this context, an in depth analysis of a few bilateral treaties and agreements on international rivers, flowing in South Asia, sharply brings out the fact that there is an acute need for a rational water policy in South Asia. The treaty agreements between India-Bangladesh, India-Nepal, India-Pakistan and India-Bhutan have been discussed and analyzed for this purpose.

The analysis also reveals that India, irrespective of its position as lower or upper reparian state, has taken the maximum possible advantage while harnessing the international rivers of South Asia, true to its image of regional superpower in this part of the globe, at the cost of undermining the interests of people of its smaller neighboring countries. As a matter of fact, the Indian water policy in South Asia is merely an extension of its domestic water policy (if such a thing really exists), which has resulted in deprivation and dispossession of poor people and benefited and enriched upper rural and urban elite. In the case of Nepal and Bhutan, it has succeeded in getting itself maximum benefits, in the case of Bangladesh it has used water of Farraka as a tool to harass ruling party whenever they acquire anti-India posture and in the case of Pakistan it has started making its own interpretation to the international Indus Treaty. By taking all this into account, one cannot escape the conclusion that India is the root-cause of all the water related disputes in South Asia.

In the light of above, a broad outline a rational water policy for South Asia has been evolved which is in congruence with the guidelines framed by the International Law Commission and the resolution passed at the United Nations General Assembly for sharing of international reparian waters.

Author(s):
Arun Kumar Singh
D-5, II Floor, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar, IV, New Delhi, India.