Background of the Indus water treaty

Background of the Indus water treaty

There were 3 Civil Engineers of India who gave upper hand to India in control of Punjab waters in 1947.

If these 3 engineers were not there during partition of India, there was no Indian control on rivers.

Read how these technical patriotic men changed the history.

Indian partition was being decided upon in early 1947.

Then Radcliffe came to India to make the line.

Indian luck was there that engineers AN Khosla, Sarup Singh were employed in Punjab irrigation works and Kanwar Sen was employed in Bikaner state water department.

Sarup Singh & Khosla in Punjab saw that Ferozepur is going in Pakistan map. As Engineers they understood something which others failed to.

Sarup Singh secretly wrote a letter to Kanwar Sen in Bikaner & warned him in advance that Ferozepur is going to Pakistan.

Kanwar Sen was also a talented engineer & understood what it meant. It meant— Ferozepur Headworks, the junction which controls 3 major canals including Gang Canal of Bikaner will be under control of Pakistan.

Kanwar Sen immediately explained the situation to Pannikar, PM of Bikaner state.

They both then met Maharaja of Bikaner Sadul Singh ji & convinced him to intervene.

Sadul Singh had personal rapport with Mountbatten. He told Mountbatten if Ferozepur Headworks goes to Pakistan, Bikaner will have no option but to merge with Pakistan for its survival.

It alarmed Congress leadership too.

Bikaner state had already refused Muslim League's offer to merge & was praised by Nehru for it.

So, Nehru got to know about it. Nehru also used his personal push & pull to convince Mountbatten that 3 tehsils in question are given to India.

Sardar Patel & VP Menon also had their sources in all internal dealings of Boundary commission. They also came forward to talk to Mountbatten.

Ultimately, Ferozepur Headworks along with Ferozepur, Zira, and Fazilka tehsils were awarded to India.

Pakistan was in shock.

These Headworks which India got were connected to canals of Pakistan. Indian control on these & hostility of Pakistan towards India forced India to stop their water from Indian headworks.

This ultimately led to sign the Indus Water Treaty.

In independent India, Kanwar Sen was the one who conceptualised Rajasthan canal project now known as Indira Gandhi Canal.

Kanwar Sen was awarded Padma Bhushan for his services. 

Unsung heroes