Articles by Ramaswamy R Iyer

John Briscoe's article ("Troubled Waters: Can a Bridge Be Built over the Indus?", EPW, 11 December 2010) on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty is a very one-sided presentation of the issues. Such perspectives are unhelpful in improving relations between India and Pakistan.

The sharing of the Indus waters stands settled by the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, and the nature of the sharing is such that no disputes can arise on this matter. Questions of the conformity of Indian projects to the provisions of the treaty can indeed arise, but the agreement provides institutional mechanisms for dealing with them. By presenting a "non-paper" to India about its concerns on the sharing of river waters, Pakistan is therefore setting out on a dangerous path that could have major implications. It is perhaps inadvertently destroying the one positive element in the relationship between the two countries, and making it impossible for the India-Pakistan relationship to improve in the foreseeable future.

Water, Ecosystems and Society: A Confluence of Disciplines by Jayanta Bandyopadhyay

The strategy of building embankments to constrain river flow and to prevent floods in north Bihar has proven to be questionable and flawed. Reliance on a dam-and-reservoir system for that purpose only offers limited protection and even greater risks of flooding in case of damage. Learning to cope with floods and managing a transition to a system that does not rely upon the embankments any more seems to be the rational course of action.

This article, based on the author's personal involvement at different stages in official and non-official capacities in displacement and rehabilitation issues, traces the evolution of thinking in India in this area. It narrates the story of the changing drafts of a policy document under consideration; notes that emerging enlightenment was reversed by the pursuit of "growth" and "development" accompanied by an impatience with other concerns; regrets the loss of a sense of justice and compassion; and outlines an approach to a more humane and equitable policy on displacement and rehabilitation.