“The issue of data exchange and water sharing between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region is deeply intertwined with the broader political dynamics and historical tensions between the two nations.”
Nosheen Khawaja*
MUZAFFARABAD: Despite the critical need for advance flood information exchange, authorities in Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) have highlighted the absence of data sharing between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar.
The Project Director of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir irrigation department, Basharat Durrani, elaborated on the current state of affairs, highlighting the absence of direct data exchange between the two parts of Kashmir regarding advance flood information.
He clarified that data acquisition primarily relies on information provided by the Pakistan government, indicating a lack of direct communication channels between the regions.
Shedding light on the prevailing situation, Durrani told Kashmir Times, “Indus Water Commissioners (of India and Pakistan) contact each other and exchange data. Whatever data we get, we get from them (government of Pakistan). We cannot exchange data or advance flood information directly from Indian-administered Kashmir.”
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 serves as the cornerstone for water sharing between Pakistan and India, with the Permanent Indus Commission overseeing its implementation.
This treaty delineates the allocation of waters from the Indus System of Rivers, specifying exclusive usage rights for certain rivers to each nation. Despite the treaty’s provisions, challenges persist regarding real-time flood information and data exchange.
Agreement on Data sharing not renewed
In August 2019, amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Indian government revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the Indian government decided against renewing the agreement on sharing hydrological data during flood season.
The agreement was first signed with Pakistan in 1989 as part of a ‘goodwill gesture’. Thereafter, the agreement was renewed with modifications every year.
This agreement, renewed annually, would have required each country to provide yearly reports of the shared rivers’ water levels.
While voting against renewal of the agreement on data sharing, the Indian government said that it would provide information only on “extraordinary discharges and flood flows”.
“This agreement was not renewed in the current year by us,” PK Saxena, Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters, was reported to have said. He said the decision would not affect the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries.
Alternate systems and limitations
Irrigation officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have acknowledged the delays in receiving flood data and have unveiled plans to implement a telemeter system. This advanced technology is poised to furnish real-time flood information, facilitating swift response measures in case of flooding incidents.
“Regarding the delay in flood information, we are installing a telemeter system so that we get real-time information about floods,” Durrani explained, underscoring the significance of the upcoming system.
While the implementation of a telemeter system is a significant step forward, challenges may arise related to infrastructure, maintenance, and technical expertise required to ensure its effectiveness and reliability. ‘Investments in building and sustaining technological infrastructure are crucial for long-term flood management efforts. Involving local communities in flood preparedness and response efforts is essential,’ said an expert.
Experts say that the issue of data exchange and water sharing between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region is deeply intertwined with the broader political dynamics and historical tensions between the two nations. They say that the geopolitical situation adds complexity to efforts aimed at improving communication and cooperation regarding water management.
More political than technical
Director General of State Disaster Management of Azad Kashmir, Tahir Mumtaz, told the Kashmir Times that there is lack of information sharing between the two parts of Kashmir. He attributed it more to political reasons than technological limitations.
He noted that after the cessation of trans-LoC (Line of Control) bus service between the two parts of Kashmir, there is no communication between the two sides. Previously, officials of Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir exchanged documents for members of divided families visiting either side of the Line of Control to meet their loved ones, which was the only form of information sharing between the two parts of Kashmir.
India halted bus service in March 2016 after Pulwama attack on February 14, which killed 40 Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
Significance of data sharing
Tahir Mumtaz emphasized the urgent need for international management of the Himalayan region, given its vulnerability to environmental changes, stressing the necessity of constant monitoring to prevent potential catastrophes.
“The Himalayan region is among the most affected regions by environmental changes or degradation. Not only between the two parts of Kashmir, but also China and the Himalayan region need to be internationally managed, with constant monitoring of changes to avoid any possible catastrophe,” he said
Regarding the role of meteorological observatories, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Sardar Muhammad Rafique Khan, pointed out the scarcity of such facilities in key areas like the Neelum Valley.
He explained that observatories are crucial for monitoring weather patterns, particularly rainfall, essential for understanding river flow dynamics. Without adequate observatories, accurately gauging rainfall levels and anticipating potential flooding or other hydrological events becomes challenging, emphasizing the critical need for their establishment in strategic locations.
The Project Director of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir irrigation department, Basharat Durrani, said that Pakistan’s flood commission is actively engaged in implementing flood mitigation measures, augmenting the region’s resilience against flooding events.
As both nations grapple with challenges related to water management and flood control, the commitment to enhancing communication and leveraging technology underscores a shared objective of safeguarding communities and essential resources along the Indus River basin.
History of recent floods
The catastrophic floods of 1992 and 2010 serve as stark reminders of the urgent need for robust flood management strategies.
A bridge damaged by the flooding in 2010. (Photo: Courtesy Wikipedia)
In 1992, devastating floods wreaked havoc, resulting in 1,834 deaths in Pakistan, including 322 in Azad Kashmir, and affecting 6,655,450 individuals, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the government of Pakistan report.
Moreover, 11,948 villages were submerged, encompassing an area of 4,796,050 acres. The floods inflicted significant damage, with crop losses totaling $78.1 million, and 875,000 houses either damaged or demolished. Furthermore, 1.5 million cubic feet of forest and timber were destroyed, while infrastructure damage amounted to $513 million.
Similarly, the floods of July 2010 swept over 20% of Pakistan’s land, causing widespread destruction and displacing millions of people, under the Pakistan government’s report.
In Indian administered Kashmir, the September 2014 floods, one of the worst in a century, left 280 dead and caused damage to 253,000 houses were damaged in the state. More than 2,500 villages and a total of 17 out of the 22 districts were affected by the floods, flash floods, landslides and prolonged water logging.
These events underscore the urgent need for effective flood management and data exchange mechanisms to mitigate future disasters.
Climate change
In addition to the challenges outlined by authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir regarding data exchange and flood information, several crucial factors further complicate the situation.
Environmental experts emphasize that climate change and its impacts on the region’s hydrology should also be considered. ‘Changes in precipitation patterns, glacial melt rates, and extreme weather events are likely affecting the timing and intensity of floods in the Kashmir region,’ they say.
These environmental factors contribute to the urgency of establishing effective flood management strategies and reliable data exchange mechanisms.”
They also assert that community-based early warning systems, training programs, and awareness campaigns could empower residents to take proactive measures and respond effectively to flood events, reducing the potential for loss of life and property damage.
Political analysts stress that enhancing cooperation and dialogue between India and Pakistan on water-related issues is fundamental to addressing the challenges of data exchange and flood management in the Kashmir region. ‘Establishing mechanisms for regular communication, information sharing, and joint decision-making can promote trust and collaboration between the two countries,’ said an analyst.”
As the region grapples with the aftermath of catastrophic floods in the past, the urgent need for effective flood management and data exchange mechanisms remains paramount in mitigating future disasters and ensuring the well-being of those residing in the Kashmir region.
Recommendations in the Past
A decade old report by the Kashmir Initiative Group, an intra-Kashmir peacebuilding platform which aims to build bridges between community perspectives and policymakers, among the several recommendations made to India and Pakistan, called for gearing up systems for sharing information on hydrological, meteorological and seismological trends could be linked up across the LoC.
It also suggested that experts in natural disaster mapping or university departments related to natural disasters from both sides should share information for joint hazard mapping, besides engagement with academia to support information sharing and the sensitisation of youth groups. It also recommended dialogue among diverse stakeholders in Kashmir for contributing to disaster preparedness.
The report also focused on the particular vulnerability of and challenges faced by the people living close to the border areas to the disasters.
The existence of the heavily militarized and fenced Line of Control isolates the many remote areas on both sides of Kashmir which remain inaccessible due to extreme weather conditions or difficult terrain. These areas are more prone to disasters, but have restricted access and comparatively less infrastructure.
They are impacted more by disasters like floods and earthquakes, say experts. The lack of data sharing, breakdown of communication and lack of access further impedes the relief and rehabilitation work in these areas.
(With inputs from Srinagar and New Delhi)
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