Indus waters may be diverted to Delhi: Min

Water available to India due to the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan may be diverted within a year-and-a-half to meet the drinking water needs of Delhi and nearby states, Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Friday.

- Snehil Sinha

The minister for power and housing and urban affairs spoke about the efforts being made to address the water shortage in Delhi and other northern states while unveiling a drainage master plan that targets a long-term solution to floods and waterlogging in the city.

"We can say that Operation Sindoor is a blessing in disguise for meeting the water requirements of these states. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Indus Water Treaty will be kept in abeyance, we have much water that used to be diverted towards Pakistan till now. We are trying that over the next 1-1.5 years, this water can be diverted here so that we can increase water supply to Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states," said Khattar.

The minister did not elaborate how the water would be channelled to Delhi.

India and Pakistan in 1960 signed the treaty, which put in place an arrangement for both countries to share water. The water sharing ratio between Pakistan and India was at 80:20, as per the treaty.