28 Jan 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. India sends notice to Pak. to amend 1960 Indus pact

Syllabus: India and its neighbourhood – relations

Prelims: Facts about Indus Waters Treaty

Mains: Recent developments in India-Pakistan relations

Context

India has recently announced its intentions to modify the 62-year-old Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.

Indus Water Treaty

• The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960.
• The Treaty which was brokered by the World Bank has never been modified since its signing.
• The treaty lays down conditions for the distribution of the waters of the Indus and its tributaries that support agriculture and other economic activities in both countries.
• The Treaty is regarded as one of the most successful international treaties in South Asia which has endured wars and tension between the two countries. 

Read more about – Indus Water Treaty

Details

• Citing Pakistan’s “intransigence” in resolving the stalemate over the construction of Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir, India wants to modify the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
• India has also raised concerns over Pakistan’s “unilateral” move to approach the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague in the Netherlands.
  • The first hearing of the Pakistani case began in the court on 27th January and India has boycotted the court process.
• India has invoked Article XII (3) of the treaty according to which the provisions of the Treaty can be modified from time to time by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments.

Objections raised by Pakistan over Indian projects

• Kishenganga Project: In 2006, Pakistan expressed its objections to the construction of the 330 MW Kishenganga hydroelectric project by India on the Jhelum river.
• Ratle Project: Pakistan had also raised concerns and objections on the construction of the 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab river.

Also read – UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 25 Feb 2022 

Dispute resolution process under the treaty

• Article IX of the Treaty deals with the “Settlement of Differences and Disputes”.
• According to Article IX, there are three possible measures that can be undertaken to decide on objections raised by either side which are:
  • Working within the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) which includes experts from both countries and meets regularly, or.
  • Consulting a World Bank-appointed neutral expert, or.
  • Through a court process with the World Bank and the Permanent Court of Arbitrage (PCA). 
• India has held that each step must be fully exhausted before both sides agree to move on to the next step. However, Pakistan has moved on without waiting for India’s concurrence with respect to the latest issue. 
• In 2015, after close to 10 years of deadlock over the construction of projects, Pakistan approached the World Bank to appoint a neutral expert, but later Pakistan changed its stand and moved to the Court of Arbitration. 

India’s stand

• As per Indian officials the parallel processes instead of a graded mechanism had led to deadlock and left India with no choice but to demand Pakistan to discuss the amendments to the treaty. 
• Further, Indian officials also feel that Pakistan’s actions have adversely violated the provisions of the Treaty and their implementation which has forced India to issue a notice for modification of the Treaty.

Pakistan’s stand

• Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) has said that the Indian reports on the notice were “diversionary” and that Pakistan has taken up the issue with the Court of Arbitration based on the relevant provisions of the treaty.

Nut graf: Indus Water treaty is often regarded as a rare example of India-Pakistan consensus and India’s recent decision to issue a notice to Pakistan to amend the Treaty at a time when both the countries have snapped trade, cultural exchanges, and bilateral talks could be a major significant development in their bilateral relations. 

E. Editorials

Category: GOVERNANCE

1. India’s Groundwater Governance

Syllabus: Government Policies & Interventions for Development

Mains: Government Initiatives Related to Groundwater Management.

Context: This article discusses the present groundwater situation in India and various policy interventions regarding  groundwater conservation.

Introduction:

• India, with nearly 18% of the world’s population, occupies about 2.4% of the total geographical area and consumes 4% of total water resources. 
• As per a World Bank report, India with its rapidly growing economy and population is the largest groundwater user.
• Groundwater is pivotal to India’s water security especially for India’s agriculture and drinking water security in rural and urban areas, meeting nearly 80% of the country’s drinking water and two-thirds of its irrigation needs. 
  • According to the Central Ground Water Board, with 230 billion metre cubes of groundwater drawn out each year for irrigating agriculture lands in India, many parts of the country are experiencing rapid depletion of groundwater.
• The Union government is working to achieve the goal of sustainable groundwater management in collaboration with States and Union Territories. 

Policy Interventions:

• To achieve sustainable groundwater management, administration has identified certain important deliverables that include,
  • A reduction in groundwater extraction to below 70%
  • Increasing the network of groundwater observation wells
  • Installing digital water level recorders for real-time monitoring
  • Periodic monitoring of groundwater quality
  • Aquifer mapping and data dissemination 
  • Better regulation of groundwater extraction by industries and 
  • Promotion of participatory groundwater management and periodic groundwater resource assessment.
• In May 2019, Jal Shakti Ministry was created to give impetus to the management of water resources with special focus on demand and supply management. 
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched to transform Jan Shakti into Jal Shakti through asset creation, rainwater harvesting (‘Catch the Rain’ campaign) and extensive awareness campaign.

Scientific approach:

• Initiatives such as Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) and the National Project on Aquifer Management (NAQUIM) have also been taken for the effective management and regulation of groundwater.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana was launched by the Union government with World Bank assistance, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation.
  • It looks to inculcate behavioural change made possible by incentivisation. 
• NAQUIM envisages the mapping of subsurface water bearing geological formations (aquifers) to help gather authentic data and enable informed decision-making. 
  • Around 24 lakh square kilometres of the country has been mapped from the available mappable area of nearly 25 lakh sq. km. 
  • Region-wise aquifer management plans are being prepared and shared with States.
• Government is also increasing monitoring stations in India with a special focus on identifying high groundwater extracting industrial and urban clusters and groundwater stressed regions. 
• Dynamic groundwater assessments are conducted annually by obtaining samples from fixed locations to check for the presence of heavy and trace metals.
  • A software called ‘India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES)’, has been developed.
• Comprehensive groundwater guidelines for regulation in various sectors were implemented in 2022.
• The Process of issuing a no-objection certificate was made transparent and time-bound using a web-based application. 
• The findings of the groundwater assessment 2022 indicate a positive inclination in the management of groundwater.
  • There has been a 3% reduction in the number of ‘overexploited’ groundwater units and a 4% increase in the number of ‘safe’ category units as compared to 2017. 
  • There was an improvement in groundwater conditions in 909 units. 
  • There is a reduction in annual extraction (of about 9.53 billion cubic metres); the data for irrigation, industrial and domestic use, respectively, is 208.49 BCM, 3.64 BCM and 27.05 BCM. 
  • Overall extraction saw a declining trend, of about 3.25% since 2017.

Way Forward:

• Adequate groundwater resources are necessary for India as one of the fastest growing economies to manage anthropogenic pressures. 
• Relevant steps must be taken to make India a water surplus nation and fulfil the objective of a key United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, of water for all.
• Government could ensure source sustainability to provide safe drinking water to all rural households by 2024, under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Groundwater resources must be managed with greater community participation with the help of various government agencies and non-governmental organisations. 

Nut Graf: In the context of climate change, as uncertainties will increase with connection with groundwater resources, efforts must be made to find solutions that are essential for sustainable development. The government’s interventions in enabling a positive impact on the overall groundwater scenario, reflect the spirit of cooperative federalism in managing groundwater. 

Q2. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (Level – Moderate)

Q3. The Petrapole-Benapole Integrated Check Post (ICP) will serve to foster greater 
economic integration and connectivity between India and  (Level – Easy)

Q4. With respect to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which of the 
following statements is/are incorrect?  (Level – Difficult)

Q5. Consider the following statements: PYQ (2007)  (Level – Difficult)

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1.  What is the Indus Water Treaty? Discuss the dispute redressal mechanism within it? (15 marks, 150 words) (GS-2; International Relations)
2.  “Groundwater is pivotal to India’s water security”. Elucidate. (10 marks, 150 words) (GS-2; Governance)

Read the previous CNA here.