‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎145v] (289/949)

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territory. An accurate estimate must include ?11 Afghan and
Persian lands in Seistan, and Seistan may be defined as the tract
comprising the whole Helmand delta, i.e.^ lands on both banks
of the Helmand from Bandar-i-Kamal Khan, downwards, includ
ing the Tarakun and Hauzdar tract.
( 9 ) The requisite supply of water, when estimated, cannot safely be
expressed in terms of the volume of the Helmand at Band-i-
Seistan, because the Afghans, by irrigation works above that point,
can divert more and more of the river, and, thus, very seriously
diminish the volume at that point. Moreover, the past history of
the Helmand shows that the river has always been subject to
sudden and important changes of its course. Natural causes or
ill-advised irrigation works might at any time divert the river
into a new channel and prevent any water at all reaching the
Band-i-Seistan at Kohak.
Any division of the Helmand water representing the “ requisite supply ’*
should, therefore, be expressed in terms of the volume of the river above the
point where water is first diverted to irrigate Seistan lands. This point, at
present, has been fixed at Bandar-i-Kamal Khan.
An award, to be of really permanent value, should provide for the con
tingency of that point being moved further up the river.
(10) The question of water for irrigation may be said, in Seistan, to
need consideration only during the season for spring crops {vide
paragraph 58 above), viz., 21 st September to 21 st March, when
the river is low. During the rest of the year, except in very
low and abnormal years, Seistan suffers from excess, and not
deficiency, of water. In such abnormal years, any division of
water based on requirements of spring crop cultivation would
fully meet the case of autumn crop requirements {vide paragraph
47 above).
(11) At present, during the season for spring crops, the Persians
take off 63 / 100 ths and the
Afghans only 14 /lOOths of
the whole Helmand.* Of
the latter amount, the Afghans take off one-half ( 7 / 100 ths)
between Bandar-i-Kamal Khan and Band-i-Seistan (Kohak),
and the other half below the Band-i-Seistan.
( 12 ) The Persians waste a large portion of the water they take off.
It has been ascertained that l/5th of the water of the Helmand
(as measured at Bandar-i-Kamal Khan) would, with proper care,
amply suffice to irrigate more than their present area of annual
cultivation during the season for spring crops {vide paragraphs
51 to 56 above).
( 13 ) Taking into consideration future possible extensions of cultivation
in Seistan, it has been ascertained that the following division of
the Helmand would meet the requirements of all culturable
tracts in Persian and Afghan Seistan :—
one-third to Afghan territory on the right bank of the Helmand ;
one-third to the present inhabited area of Persian Seistan, i.e., the
tracts irrigated from and below the Band-i-Seistan (Kohak);
one-third to the Tarakun and Hauzdar tract jointly owned by Persia
and Afghanistan.
In other words the Persian and Afghan share of the Helmand might fairly be
fixed at one-half of the whole volume for each.
( 14 ) Under the existing conditions of Seistan, where outside influence
prevents mutual or amicable settlement of water questions, no
award will succeed in obviating future misunderstandings and
friction, unless a competent officer of irrigation experience be
appointed as a permanent referee, who can give a definite
opinion in each case of dispute. He need not necessarily have