NEW Delhi's act of blocking about 0.2 million cusecs of water flowing into River Chenab at a time when crops in Pakistan are in dire need of irrigation is highly condemnable. It is reported that the water India is diverting is being stored in the controversial Baglihar dam built in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Islamabad has sought arbitration under the treaty. Concurrently it has asked India to compensate the loss by releasing water into Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab. It is contrary to international law and practice for India not to have sincerely accepted Pakistan's right as a lower riparian also recognised by World Bank, which first intervened in 1948 when India blocked the water flow to Pakistan. Though a treaty was brokered in 1960, New Delhi has continued to create trouble for us by diverting the channels flowing into Pakistan. At present it is engaged in building 58 dams and water reservoirs on Rivers Chenab, Jhelum and Indus in gross violation of the treaty that grants the control of these rivers to Pakistan. The Baglihar dams' size is so huge that it allows India to block about 8000 acre feet of water. Pakistan's economy is predominantly agrarian in nature. The food crisis is still not over and yet there are fears that the prevailing water scarcity caused by our eastern neighbour might deal a severe blow to the wheat and rice crops next year. The farmers in Punjab are helpless as all the major canals and tributaries supplying water to their fields have almost dried up. Likewise the water reservoirs in Cholistan area are left without a drop of water. This shortage is also fuelling power crisis, directly having a negative effect on our ability to produce electricity. One wonders whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was really serious when he aired his views on improving bilateral relations, as his government appears keen to spoil them because such pressure tactics reflect poorly on its desire to bring peace to the region.