File 1880/1904 Pt 1 'Perso-Afghan Frontier: - Seistan Arbitration.' [‎56r] (116/520)

83. Persia cannot reasonably grumble at any settlement which defines and
safeguards her right to a requisite supply of water, at the threatened loss of
which she evinces such alarm.
84. No award will necessarily much affect the actual distribution of
water in practice, at any rate, not for a considerable period of time. The
Afghans will gradually take off more water; but unless the Helmand is
properly controlled above Seistan, or unless from natural causes, or ill-advised
or malicious irrigation works, the river is diverted into a new channel, the
Persians will always be able to take more water from the Hemand than they
want to use without depriving the Afghans of the amount they require.
85. I trust that enough has been said to explain the water problem,
and to enable the Government of India to decide which form of solution
thereof is most suitable. The details connected with the problem have,
I fear, made this memorandum a somewhat lengthy one. I have endeavoured
throughout to effect at least one result, i.e., that, whichever award may be
selected, it will obviate any future deadlock in Seistan on water questions.
Should draft A, for instance, be selected, and the opening of a new canal,
hereafter, into Tarakun raise the question of Persian right to water for
Hauzdar, the arrangement proposed in Draft 0 or D could be brought into
effect through the medium of the permanent arbitrator, and so on.
A. H. McMahon, Colonel,
British Commissioner, Seistan Arbitration Commission.
Arbitral Award on the Seistan water question.
Draft A.
Preliminary remarks.
1 General Sir Frederick Goldsmid, as Arbitrator between Persia and
Afghanistan, was called upon to settle the question of rights to land and water
of Persia and Afghanistan in Seistan. He delivered an arbitral award on
both uoints in 1872, which was confirmed by 444# Majesty’s Secretary of State
for ^Foreign Affairs, and accepted by the Persian and AJghan Governments
^ 18 9 3 ’ At tbe time of the above award, the Helmand River had one main
distributary channel in Seistan, i.e .,the Rud-i-Seistan, at the mouth of which,
in order to divert sufficient water into this Rud, was a tamarisk band known
as tbe^andd-Kohak or^e^BanddjSm^an^The^Helnmnd^River^from^tlmnce,
fhe W SikhsarTnto the Naizar and Hamun. In 1896 a large flood caused the
rlVer to burst out for itself a new main channel which left the old one near
Shahgul, and is now known as tbe Rud-i-Pariun.
ouau 0 , , reo , ardin? water between Persian and Afghan Seistan,
Various disp o course of canals an d i n the course of the
which were caused by My enquiries show that these have, until
mam river, have arise m icablv settled by the responsible officials
recently .always been mutually ^andaamcably^ s^^e^a^ y ^ ^ se
concerned on both si(i , _ ’ d t ood each other’s water requirements, have
"“" 1
satisfaction of both c0 "“* u ® 3 ‘ o{ affa;rg might i, aV e continued indefinitely, but
4. This satisfactory dar i ng the last few years outside influences
It is a qnestion for rt a rSedT h or h o"itted have found their way into Seistan which
It ™ P re.e,>«. tbe acumi but bus the haTe hindered the independent settlement
defect of calling a spade a spaic.^ ^ moMahoh. disputes; and, by estranging the relations
between the peoples concerned, have rendered amicable and mutual settlement
of water difficulties “^“^Cthemseives unimportant, water questions arose
5. A series of small, anu f p , tran u e d relations, caused misunder-
between 1900 and 1902 whic. , y matters were brought to a crisis by
standing and increased ili-teeiin 0 , um