What Is the Indus Waters Treaty That India Suspended?
News Desk
Islamabad: Imagine two neighbours — India and Pakistan — sharing a lifeline: the vast Indus River system that flows from Tibet, through India, and into Pakistan, also touching parts of China and Afghanistan. After the Partition of British India in 1947, the question emerged: who controls how much of this vital water source?
Origins of the Treaty
In 1948, just a year after Partition, India briefly halted water flow to Pakistan, heightening tensions between the newly formed nations. Pakistan took the issue to the United Nations, which recommended third-party mediation. This led to the World Bank stepping in, facilitating nine years of negotiations. Eventually, in 1960, India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan signed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
What the Treaty Says
The treaty divides the Indus River system’s six rivers between the two nations. India was given unrestricted rights over the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. Pakistan was allocated the western rivers — Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum — receiving around 80 percent of the total water flow, an unusually large share for a downstream country.
India’s Limited Usage Rights
Although Pakistan controls the western rivers, India is permitted to use them for domestic needs, agriculture, and run-of-the-river hydropower projects, provided it doesn’t significantly reduce water availability for Pakistan.
Dispute Resolution Mechanism
The treaty established a Permanent Indus Commission with officials from both countries to address disputes. Remarkably, this commission has continued to function through wars and major diplomatic crises.
A Treaty That Endured Conflict
Despite hostilities — including the wars of 1965 and 1971, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, and the 2019 Pulwama attack — India has never withdrawn from the treaty or invoked international exit clauses under the Vienna Convention.
A Rare Example of Balance and Resilience
The Indus Waters Treaty is Asia’s only cross-border water-sharing agreement. Experts often cite it as a rare model of cooperation between hostile neighbours, with Pakistan receiving a significantly favourable share — much more than what Mexico gets under its water treaty with the United States.
A Global Model for Resource Sharing
The treaty is regarded internationally as a benchmark for how nations can collaborate over shared resources. Its resilience over decades of conflict makes it a symbol of what’s possible even amidst political rivalry.
Why the Treaty Still Matters
In an era of increasing water scarcity across South Asia, the Indus Waters Treaty continues to be crucial in maintaining peace and promoting sustainable water management.
While India has recently moved to suspend the treaty amid fresh tensions, the decades-old agreement remains a pillar of regional stability — and a reminder of the power of dialogue in solving even the most contentious disputes.
