Agriculture minister Chouhan signals plan to use Indus water for Indian farmers

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in an interaction with farmers on Monday, said keeping Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance is in the interest of the farmers and plan will be chalked out to use the Indus river water for agriculture especially in several north-Indian states.

Interacting with Chouhan at ICAR ( Indian Council of Agricultural Research) complex in the national capital, a group of farmers' organisations from Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan on Monday extended support to the Modi government's decision to keep IWT in abeyance.

Chouhan, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, also criticised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for signing the treaty despite opposition from experts.

The minister said that the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty will greatly benefit the farmers of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and some parts of Himachal Pradesh.

Chouhan said, "The decision to keep the treaty in abeyance is in the interest of the country and farmers. ...a comprehensive plan will be chalked out to use the Indus river water for agriculture and other purposes."

He further said more than 80% of the Indus water was given to Pakistan. We gave them money and water. What did Pakistan give us in return? Providing water to Pakistan is unjust to Indian farmers.

The IWT, signed in 1960, is a landmark agreement between India and Pakistan on sharing the waters of the Indus River system. The treaty was suspended following a major terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

During Monday's event, Chouhan also felicitated Punjab farmer Goma Singh from Hussainiwala village on the India-Pakistan border for vacating his house for army personnel during combat.