India accelerates Ujh hydro project in violation of Indus Waters Treaty
Jammu: India has accelerated the implementation of the Ujh multipurpose project in Jammu, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with Indian Minister Jitendra Singh linking the project to the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and describing it as strategically important.
According to Kashmir Media Service, while reviewing the project’s progress, the minister said the delay in executing the project had allowed the waters of the Ravi River and its tributaries to flow into Pakistan. He stated that, with the Indus Waters Treaty now in abeyance, the Indian government was committed to expediting the project’s implementation.
The project, to be executed in phases, is expected to generate up to 212 MW of electricity, irrigate nearly 90,000 hectares of land and supply drinking water to Kathua district.
Political and water policy observers said the Indian government’s renewed emphasis on projects linked to the western river system and references to the treaty being in abeyance could further heighten concerns over the future of the Indus Waters Treaty and regional water security. They stressed that any unilateral measures affecting transboundary rivers should remain consistent with international obligations and established legal frameworks.
