IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 20, Issue 5, Ver. V (May. 2015), PP 36-42 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0837-20553642 www.iosrjournals.org 36 | Page Indus Water Treaty- A Problem in the Utilization of Hydro- Power Resources of J & K. *Suhail Ahmad Wani, **Dr. S.U.Khan Research Scholar Deptt. Of Geography Govt. T.R.S. College Rewa M.P India. Professor Deptt. Of Geography Govt. T.R.S. College Rewa M.P India. Abstract: Hydropower is one of the State’s key resources and J&K intends to accelerate harnessing this potential as an integral part of its economic development. The development of hydro potential in the State is expected to usher in huge economic benefits in the form of infrastructure development, industrialization and employment generation. With increase in hydropower generation & improvement in efficiencies in transmission and distribution of electricity, J&K aims not only to provide energy at affordable cost for eco-friendly industrial development but also turn into a net energy exporter. J&K is one of the states of India which is having tremendous hydro-power potential. But one of the major constraints in tapping hydro-power in the state besides shortage of resources is the “Indus Water Treaty”. The Treaty lays restrictions on storage of water on major rivers of J&K thus restricting the scope of hydro-power generation. This treaty prohibits reservoir storage of water on the major rivers of J&K restricting the scope of generating electricity from hydro power to generation from only run off the river projects. The state is facing acute scarcity of power, which can be gauged from the fact that against a total peak requirement of about 20,000 MW, the State has been able to develop only 1474.65 MW till date. 8. According to the available data there are about 2000 un-electrified villages/hamlets in the state. So there is need for development of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a small community. Keywords: Hydro-Power, Industrialization, Indus Water Treaty, Potential, Resources. I. Introduction The Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is the northernmost state of the Union of India, situated at a latitude of 34 0 .05 N and longitude of 74 0 .05 E. It comprises three distinct regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh which are diverse in culture, geography and climate. The Jammu region is topographically plain and experiences sub- tropical climate. On the other hand the valley of Kashmir experiences temperate climate. Ladakh in contrast to both Jammu & Kashmir regions is mountainous with scant vegetation and experiences cold and arid climate. The state consists of twenty two administrative districts and its population has touched ten million mark lately. J&K is one of the energy starved states of the country despite having tremendous hydro-power potential. One of the major constraints in tapping hydro-power in the state besides shortage of resources is the ―Indus Water Treaty‖, to which both India and Pakistan are signatories. The Treaty prohibits reservoir storage of water on major rivers of J&K restricting the scope of generating electricity from hydro power to generation from only run off the river projects. The topography of the state (Jammu being the only rail link) together with remote & far- flung villages across the landscape compounds the energy crises. Transmission of power to these areas is not only un-economical but difficult as well. Worse still is the population density in some villages, where households are interspersed and habitations dispersed. In such geographical locations, electrification by laying long Transmission & Distribution lines becomes practically impossible. i Even before the partition of India and Pakistan, the Indus posed problems between the states of British India. The problem became international only after partition, though, and the attendant increased hostility and lack of supra-legal authority only exacerbated the issue. Pakistani territory, which had relied on Indus water for centuries, now found the water sources originating in another country, one with whom geopolitical relations were increasing in hostility. ii Arising from the Tibetan Plateau in western China, the Indus River travels northwest through the Himalayan valleys and after crossing into the Kashmir region and traversing Pakistan, flows out into the Arabian Sea. The principal rivers of the Indus system are snow-fed and their flow varies seasonally and spatially. Most of the Indus Basin lies in India and Pakistan, and only about 13 per cent of its total catchment in Afghanistan and in China’s autonomous region of Tibet. iii The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, divides the Indus Basin system between India and Pakistan by allocating three eastern rivers of the basin, namely the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej to India and the three western rivers — the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum — to Pakistan. The Treaty obliges both India and Pakistan to not interfere in the waters of the rivers allocated to the other side except for the limit