The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) was signed between India and Pakistan 60 years ago, on 19th September. The treaty enabled the two nations to share the waters of the Indus system, whose primary rivers are the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. This water body is shared majorly by India and Pakistan, with a small portion going to China and Afghanistan.
The partition of India in 1947 not only resulted in territorial split but also divided the waters of the Indus rivers system. After lengthy discussions, it was agreed that the three ‘western rivers’ (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) would go to Pakistan while the three ‘eastern rivers’ (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) were portioned to India.
Terms of the Treaty
The IWT permitted India to use 20% water from the western rivers for irrigation, power generation and transport purposes. The remaining 80% went to Pakistan. The deal granted India 3.6 million acre-feet (MAF) of “permissible storage capacity” on the western rivers but due to poor water development projects, 2-3 MAF of water easily flows into Pakistan.
India conceded 80.52% of the aggregate water flows in the Indus system to Pakistan and gave Rs 83 crore in pounds sterling to help Pakistan build replacement canals from the western rivers. In exchange, India got complete rights over the eastern rivers which were essential for the functioning of the Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan and the Bhakra Dam in Himachal Pradesh. The World Bank played a significant role in formulating the IWT.
Pakistan’s Point of View
From Pakistan’s perspective, the sharing of waters remains an unfinished business. It finds it uncomfortable that India has full control of the total flow of 33 million acre-feet on the eastern rivers, while it has to share the waters of western rivers. As a result, Pakistan has high troop levels and alertness around the canals on the eastern front.
India’s Changing Perspective
Every so often, there are calls in India for abrogating or modifying the IWT in response to Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism activities. However, such a move would require consensus and careful consideration of politico-diplomatic and hydrological factors. Despite several terror attacks, India has chosen to respect the treaty under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Suggestions to Modify the Treaty
Despite this, there have been suggestions to modify the IWT due to new hydrological realities and advanced engineering methods in dam construction and de-siltation. However, any changes have to be agreed upon by both countries, which seems unlikely given that Pakistan believes it already has a good deal.
Optimizing the Provisions of the Treaty
India’s best option would be to optimize the provisions of the treaty. There is an urgent need to fully utilize the permissible storage capacity on the western rivers. Only 3034 MW out of the total estimated capacity of 11406 MW electricity has been harnessed from the three western rivers in Kashmir. Projects like the Tulbul Navigation project on Jhelum, Ratle and Bagliha hydro projects on Chenab, and Bursar hydroelectric project are just a few examples that aim to utilize the waters of western rivers.
Way Forward
The role of India, as a responsible upper riparian abiding by the provisions of the treaty, has been noteworthy. However, the deteriorating political relations with Pakistan is forcing India to rethink its commitment to the treaty. Despite the strained relationship between the two countries, IWT remains a testament of peaceful coexistence and cooperation.
