Water is the most wonderful liquid. Water bodies are the eyes of the earth. This planet is called blue planet because of the presence of water only. But the water that appears in the satellite images are mostly oceans and glaciers and frozen ice over the poles. The fresh water sources are fast depleting as the most of our perennial rivers have become seasonal and seasonal rivers are dead. The inland freshwater lakes have become concrete jungles and our urban centres are just inimical to the survival of the earth as cities like Chennai houses about 28000 people in one sq.kilometre radius.
There are already conflicts between states and nations over the sharing of waters. For instance,
There are already conflicts between states and nations over the sharing of waters. For instance,
several factors have complicated Indo-Pakistan water sharing relations in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) brokered by theWorld Bank in 1960, India was granted exclusive rights over the waters of the Eastern Rivers – the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi – and their tributaries before the point where the rivers enter Pakistan, while Pakistan won the rights over the waters of the Western Rivers – the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab – and their tributaries. Pakistan’s share of the total Indus system is over 80 percent which makes India a beneficiary of less than 20 percent.
In the past decade, there have been many disputes over India and Pakistan’s shared waters: the construction of Baglihar Dam on the Chenab by the Indian side was obstructed by Pakistan. When Pakistan had moved the World Bank for arbitration, the latter appointed a neutral expert, Richard Laffite who gave green light to the project in 2007 thwarting the objections raised by the former about the structure and design of the dam.
A HIMALAYAN ICE SHEET
EGYPT AND ETHIOPIA
May 30, 2013
Egypt is expressing concern at Ethiopia’s move to divert water from the Nile River to allow construction of a massive hydroelectric dam.Egypt’s cabinet met Wednesday to discuss Ethiopia’s announcement that it was diverting the flow of the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the river. The meeting came a day after Ethiopian officials said the water would be diverted to make way for construction of a nearly $5 billion dam. The hydropower facility will be the largest in Africa, producing as much electricity as six nuclear power plants. It is scheduled for completion in 2017. A former high-ranking Egyptian diplomat says Ethiopia’s move to divert the flow of the Nile River has needlessly heightened regional tensions. Ethiopia began diverting the river this week as it builds a massive hydroelectric dam. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for its water supply, stressed that it has not approved the dam's construction.
This photo, made available on April 2, 2013, shows the construction of the dam in Ethiopia's Asosa region.
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