Understanding the Indus Water Treaty

■ Understanding the Indus Water Treaty

✅A 10-member delegation from India will visit Pakistan to attend the 117th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission. 

✅The Indian Commissioner of Indus Waters will lead the delegation visiting Pakistan. 

● Pakistan's possible objections 

✅A possible objection to 3 hydro-power

projects: 

✅1. 1000 Megawatt (MW) Pakal Dul project, 

✅2. 48 MW Lower Kalnai project,

 

✅3. 624 MW Kiru project. 

● The Indus Waters Treaty 

✅The Inter-dominion accord was adopted in1948. 

✅India to supply water to Pakistan in exchange for an annual payment. 

✅It is a Water-Distribution Treaty signed in 1960 brokered by the World Bank. 

✅India has control over water flowing in the eastern rivers - Beas, Ravi and Sutlej. 

✅Pakistan has control over the western rivers Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. 

✅The water commissioners of Pakistan and India are required to meet twice a year. 

✅Both sides are required to share details of the water flow and the quantum of water being used. 

✅It sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information 

exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers. 

● Some Key provisions 

✅It prescribed how water from the Six rivers of the Indus River System would be shared between India and Pakistan. 

✅3 western rivers - Indus, Chenab and Jhelum to Pakistan, 3 Eastern rivers -Ravi, Beas and Sutlej to India. 

✅80% of the share of water or about 135 Million Acre Feet (MAF) went to Pakistan, & the rest 33 MAF or 20% of water for India. 

✅Both sides to establish a Permanent Indus Commission constituted by permanent commissioners. 

● The functions of the commission include: 

✅1. serve as a forum for exchange of information on rivers, 

✅2. For continued cooperation, 

✅3. A first stop for resolution of conflicts. 

✅Annexure C allows India certain agricultural uses over the waters of Jhelum, Chenab and Indus. 

✅Annexure D allows India to build 'run of the river' hydropower projects(projects not requiring live storage of water). 

✅Treaty also allows Pakistan to raise objections over such projects being built by India. 

✅India is allowed to have a minimum storage level on the western rivers(can store up to 3.75 MAF of water for conservation and flood storage purposes). 

✅The IWT provides a 3 step dispute resolution mechanism: 

✅For unresolved questions and technical differences, either side can approach the World Bank. 

● Past Objections 

✅One of the longest objections from Pakistan's side is regarding the Kishanganga Hydro-Electric Project (KHEP). 

✅KHEP: diverting water for a 330 MW hydropower plant in Kashmir's Bandipora. 

✅Pakistan had raised objections regarding the height of the dam.

✅India agreed to alter the design by lowering its height from 97 meters to 37 meters. 

✅2010: Pakistan took the matter to the International Court of Arbitration. 

✅2013; Court gave India a green signal for the project. 

✅Pakistan had objected to the Salal dam project in 1970 over design concerns. 

✅followed by the 900 MW Baglihar Hydropower project.

 

● IWT and Political and Border conflicts

 

✅IWT has been brought up a couple of times during geo- poliical tension

between India and Pakistan. 

✅After Uri attack: PM states Blood and water cannot flow simultaneously.

 

✅Permanent Indus Commission talks were suspended for that year by the Indian side. 

✅Pulwama 2019: India for the first time threatened to cut off water supply to Pakistan from the Indus River System. 

● Conclusion

 

✅Though the IWT and geopolitical scenario are well connected, India never violated the treaty inspite of Pakistan's aggression at borders and their continuous activities to destabilize the region.