No war for water between India and Pakistan: Ranganathan

M Zulqernain
Lahore, Feb 10 (PTI) India's Indus Waters Commissioner
G Ranganathan on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of a
"war" between India and Pakistan over differences on the
sharing of river waters.
Ranganathan, who was on a five-day visit to Pakistan
to conduct routine inspections of water works, told reporters
here that misconceptions on the sharing of waters between the
two neighbours would not reach a level that could trigger a
war.
Replying to a question, he said that there should not
be talk of war between India and Pakistan over the sharing of
river waters.
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, which covers the
sharing of river waters, is "fully functional" and the Indian
team was here to remove Pakistan’s concerns over water issues,
Ranganathan said.
Ranganathan also dismissed claims by certain sections
in Pakistan that has been resorting to "water theft".
The decrease in the flow of the Chenab river was
purely due to climate changes that have impacted the entire
region, he remarked.
Districts located along the banks of the Chenab on
the Indian side too had been severely affected by dropping
flows, he pointed out. (MORE) PTI