Tulbul Project
National News: The state's politics has come to a boil after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calls for the Tulbul Navigation Barrage Project to resume. People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti reacted sharply to this statement of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and called it "irresponsible" and "dangerously inflammatory".
Mehbooba Mufti said that political rhetoric on such projects could threaten the peace and security of Jammu and Kashmir. He warned that adopting an aggressive stance on issues like Tulbul can make Indo-Pak relations more stressful. However, he later softened his stand by talking about India's long -term strategic interests.
The Tulbul Project, also known as the Wular Barrage, is a control barrage built on the Jhelum River at the mouth of the Wular Lake of Jammu and Kashmir. Its purpose is to maintain shipping by maintaining water level in Jhelum in winter. India started construction in 1984, but it was stopped in 1987 due to Pakistan's objections.
Pakistan claims that the project is a violation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) as it will control the flow of Jhelum, which is included in the western rivers of its share.
India says that non-individual uses under IWT-such as shipping, flood control and waterfall-are allowed, and the project falls in the same category. Many experts from India have argued for years that this project is completely under the treaty and it does not have any adverse effects on Pakistan.
Senior Fellow Uttam Sinha of Manohar Parrikar Defense Studies and Analysis Institute says that for decades the development of the development of the people of Kashmir has been suppressed in the name of diplomatic vigilance. He clearly stated, "Now the time has come to restart the Tulbul Project. It will help maintain water levels in the Jhelum river throughout the year and will facilitate business and civil traffic."
According to Kushwinder Vohra, former chairman of the Central Water Commission, the project will promote not only shipping, but also better flood management, water storage and power generation. They believe that regular drainage from the Wular lake will maintain a minimum of 4.5 feet water level in Jhelum, which will make it possible to transport throughout the year.
This project can give new life to water transport from Anantnag to Srinagar and Baramulla. In winter, when the water in Jhelum is reduced to 2.5 feet, then the shipping stops. This project can change it permanently.
Pakistan claimed in the past that India would store 0.3 million acres of feet (about 0.369 billion cubic meters) through the project, which is a violation of the Indus Water Treaty. India has been rejecting this claim and has been saying that no catchment is being done, but only the flow will be controlled - which is permitted under the treaty.
Experts say that after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in 2023, India has strictly strictly talked about the IWT and even the review of the treaty has been talked about. In such a situation, now India has a better diplomatic opportunity to pursue a project like Tulbul.
The Tulbul project is no longer an engineering project-it has become a symbol of India's hydropower, diplomacy and the economic revival of Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti's verbal war shows that the political leadership is now looking at the issue not only technical, but strategically.
Will India now exercise its rights while maintaining diplomatic balance or will the expectations of the people of Kashmir be hanging in the balance once again - it will be decided in the coming months.
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