NEW DELHI – Indian Union Minister for Transport and Water ResourcesNitin Gadkari said on Monday that India will dam three Uttarakhand riversto curb flow of water to Pakistan, *Express Newslink>* reported.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of an agriculture summit in Haryana, theunion minister said the rivers will be dammed to ensure the stored watercould be used to overcome water shortages in the event of poor rainfall.Gadkari said that while the three rivers allocated to Pakistan under the1960 Indus Waters Treaty constituted a separate issue, India had firstright to water from the Uttarakhand rivers as they were imperative fornational development.

“This is why we will build three different dams and store water. This willremedy water shortages across Indian Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan,” hesaid.

Gadkari added that India had been awarded exclusive rights over threerivers courtesy the Indus Waters Treaty. He said India had not been able toutilise water from the rivers in accordance with its needs. The ‘extra’water flowing to Pakistan constituted a breach of the treaty, he said.