India’s long-standing water-sharing policy with Pakistan is being altered as a result of the Pahalgam attack.

There has been a significant change in India’s long-standing policy of keeping its Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan independent from political and military concerns since terrorists killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

An important step was taken on April 23 when the Indian government decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). According to the administration, Jammu and Kashmir has been the explicit target of “continued cross-border terrorism by Pakistan,” and the unpredictability brought on by these assaults has hindered India’s ability to fully exercise its rights under the treaty

Pahalgam attack_ Indus Waters Treaty Explained [READ FULL TEXT]

The office of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meantime, reacted forcefully, declaring that it would be deemed a “act of war” to obstruct or divert the water flow in contravention of the treaty.

Questions concerning the future and significance of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty have been raised by the widening diplomatic gap between the two nations.

Here is a brief synopsis of the pact and its significance:

• India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 as part of a water-sharing arrangement mediated by the World Bank.
• It regulates how the two countries share the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries.
• Despite multiple wars and tensions over the decades, the treaty has remained intact, often seen as a rare example of cooperation between the neighbors.

The treaty’s long-term viability has been called into question by the recent events, which also portend a possible new stage in India-Pakistan ties where water diplomacy would no longer be immune to larger geopolitical disputes.

WHAT IS THE INDUS WATERS TREATY?

The use of the water is governed by the Indus Waters Treaty, which was mediated by the World Bank and signed by the neighbours in September 1960.

The agreement split the Indus and its tributaries between the two countries and regulated water sharing. India was granted the use of water from three eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas and Ravi – while Pakistan was granted most of the three western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.

There is no provision in the treaty for either country to unilaterally suspend or terminate the pact, which has clear dispute resolution systems.

WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS OVER WATER?

The nuclear-armed neighbours have argued over and disputed several projects on the Indus and its tributaries in India for years.

Pakistan is heavily dependent on water from this river system for its hydropower and irrigation needs. Pakistan says India unfairly diverts water with the upstream construction of barrages and dams, a charge India denies.

Pakistan is concerned that India’s dams will cut flows on the river, which feeds 80% of its irrigated agriculture. It has asked for a neutral expert and then an arbitration court to intervene in two recent hydropower projects.

India has accused Pakistan of dragging out the complaints process, and says the construction of its Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects is allowed under the treaty. It has also sought modification of the pact to get around such delays.