Know All About Indus Water Treaty: India Suspends 65-Year-Old Pact With Immediate Effects

Making a diplomatic strike at Pakistan, a day after Pahalgam terror attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has decided to suspend Indus Water Treaty with immediate effect. The big decision was made after a high-level CCS meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which ran for over two and a half hours.

After the CCS meet, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the media and said, "Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack, India has decided that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism."

What is Indus Waters Treaty?

In 1960, a groundbreaking water-sharing agreement was established between India and Pakistan, known as the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), under the aegis of the World Bank. This pivotal treaty was aimed at managing the distribution and usage of water from the Indus River system, which encompasses six rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The essence of this treaty has been to facilitate a cooperative framework for the utilization of water resources between the two nations, despite their complex history and frequent tensions.

The origins of the IWT trace back to the efforts of the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan, who, after nine years of negotiations facilitated by the World Bank (then called the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), finalized the treaty. This treaty was not merely a diplomatic achievement but also a technical and administrative framework designed to ensure the equitable sharing of one of the most vital natural resources.

The division of the rivers under the IWT is clear-cut. Pakistan was granted the rights to the unrestricted use of the waters from the western rivers-Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. However, the treaty also permits India to use these waters for limited purposes, such as domestic needs, agriculture, and generating hydropower, within specified constraints. On the other hand, the eastern rivers-Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej-were allocated to India for unrestricted use, highlighting the treaty's attempt to balance the water needs of both countries.

Since its inception, the Indus River system had been a contentious issue, especially after the partition of India in 1947. The tension reached a critical point when India momentarily halted the water flow to Pakistan in 1948, which was later resumed following a ceasefire. The conflict over water resources escalated until 1951 when Pakistan brought the issue to the United Nations, accusing India of depriving several Pakistani villages of water. It was against this backdrop of disputes and international interventions that the World Bank proposed the IWT in 1954, which was eventually signed in 1960.

The treaty also established the Permanent Indus Commission, a bilateral entity composed of representatives from India and Pakistan. This commission was tasked with overseeing the treaty's implementation, facilitating data sharing, and resolving any disputes that might arise. Regular meetings are held to tackle technical issues and ensure both parties adhere to the treaty's terms, demonstrating a continuous effort to maintain cooperation and peace over water use.