Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Exchange of letters took place on the issue between Pakistan and India. The
Pakistan Government sought Delhi's comments on 29th October 1951 on the news-
paper report of India's plan to build a barrage across the Ganga at Farakka for
diversion of the Ganga water into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly. Islamabad requested
Delhi to consult Pakistan before launching any such plan, as it might affect the
interests of its eastern wing. India, in its reply dated 8th March 1952, disclosed that
only preliminary investigations had started and the Pakistan's concern was hypo-
thetical. Pakistan in its letter dated 14th September 1954 informed India that the
Ganga-Kapotaksha Scheme was designed to irrigate about 2 million acres of land
besides creating a direct inland channel between the Bay of Bengal and the Ganga
for large sea-going vessels in East Pakistan, enclosing a copy of a report. Pakistan
proposed a joint survey of the upper reaches of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra
which India reportedly turned down. Delhi suggested that Pakistan should consider
a survey of the rivers on their side.
In March 1956, India expressed its reservations about certain articles of the
Barcelona Convention and Statute of 1921 on the regime of navigable waterways
of international concern, as these were detrimental to the interests of upper ripar-
ian countries, mentioning that these were superseded subsequently by the GATT.
Pakistan did not agree with this contention of Delhi and correspondences followed
for several years on the issue of sharing of the Ganga water. In 1957, Pakistan
proposed involving the United Nations for technical and advisory services for the
development of eastern river systems but this was turned down by India.
The first expert-level meeting of the two countries was held in June 1960 after
the government of the two countries agreed mutually that the water resource experts
of two countries should exchange data on projects of mutual interests. The meet-
ing, headed by K. K. Framji, a Chief Engineer and a Joint Secretary of India and
M. A. Hamid, Chief Engineer Advisor and a Joint Secretary of Pakistan was held
in New Delhi between 28th June and 3rd July 1960. Three more meetings followed
between October 1960 and January 1962 - two in Dhaka and one in Kolkata, respec-
tively. In January 1961, India informed Pakistan that the Farakka Barrage Project
work had started. Another exchange of letters started between the Indian Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President, Field Marshal Ayub Khan on
the issue, followed by exchange of data for the next four years up to 1964. This was
interrupted by a war between India and Pakistan in 1965 and the stalemate continued
up to 1967. The dialogue was resumed in 1968 in their fifth meeting in New Delhi.
India was represented by Baleswar Nath, a Chief Engineer and a Joint Secretary
of India and Pakistan by S. S. Jafri, a Secretary of Pakistan, but nothing concrete
emerged. Five more meetings were held at the level of secretaries. K. P. Mathrani
and V. V. Chari represented India in the first three and last two meetings respec-
tively. Pakistan was represented by S. S. Jafri and A. G. N. Kazi in the first two and
next three meetings, held between December 1969 and July 1970. The last meeting,
held in New Delhi from 16th to 21st July 1970, recommended as under:
i) The point of delivery of water to Pakistan of such quantity as maybe decided
will be at Farakka;
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