CPR-CWC Dialogue Forum invite you to a talk on
‘Indus Waters Treaty: Surviving the Odds’
Speaker: Shri P. K. Saxena, Commissioner (Indus), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India
Moderator: Srinivas Chokkakula, MoJS Research Chair- Water Conflicts and Governance, CPR
About the Talk:
India has an impressive history of water dispute resolution through agreements and treaties, such as the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, the Mahakali Treaty, and the Ganges Treaty. The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, divides the waters of Indus Basin between India and Pakistan. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) rated it as one of the best examples of water conflict resolution. The Treaty is hailed for in-built resilience which made it persevere through two wars and many war-like situations. The talk will present India’s perspective and argue that India’s accommodative spirit has primarily contributed to the Treaty’s survival historically. In spite of this, it is unfortunate that public discourse in Pakistan blames India for water scarcity in Pakistan, which is largely of its internal makings. The frequent disputes between the basin states in Pakistan suggests increased demands for water. The government meanwhile has also failed to augment the large share of Indus waters allocated to it, and lets it discharge into the sea. The talk will also discuss the historical background and other nuances of the Treaty while presenting the Indus Commissioners’ experiences in implementation of the Treaty.
About the Speaker:
Mr Pradeep Kumar Saxena is the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters at the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India since 2016. He has been associated with Indus Treaty matters in various capacities for the past fifteen years and has dealt with a number of differences and disputes with Pakistan. He was actively associated with the presentation of India’s case and oral hearings in the dispute relating to the Kishenganga hydroelectric project before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague.
Mr Saxena is a graduate in Civil Engineering and a Central Water Engineering Services officer of 1986 batch. He has over thirty years of experience in planning and design of water resources projects mostly in the hydropower sector with specialization in the designing of underground structures. He was associated with the designing of a number of hydroelectric projects in India, Nepal and Afghanistan.
Please RSVP at treads@cprindia.org.
