In order to improve availability of water in the Yamuna, the government is working on project to divert water from three rivers flowing into Pakistan from India, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. He said both the countries hold the right to use water flowing in three rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960. But India has not utilised river waters it is permitted to use under the agreement, he said.
“After formation of India and Pakistan, India and Pakistan got the right to use waters in three rivers each. The water from our three rivers is going to Pakistan. Now, we are planning to build a project and divert the water from these three rivers into Yamuna river. Once this happens, Yamuna will have more water”, said Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday at an event in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat.
Gadkari on Thursday evening took to twitter to say that all the 3 projects have been declared as national projects. “Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Sri @narendramodi ji, Our Govt. has decided to stop our share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. We will divert water from Eastern rivers and supply it to our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab."
However, this is not for the first time that Gadkari has spoken about construction of projects on these rivers. In January this year, Gadkari had said that India share of water has been going to Pakistan without being utilised asserting that “we have decided that we will stop the flow and divert the water which is rightfully ours."