Water Woes

Bilal Gani

The diplomatic and military relations between India and Pakistan grew increasingly strained following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Twenty-six innocent tourists werekilled in a cold-blooded terrorist attack—an incident that has left the nation stunned and grieving. As Indian intelligence reports trace the origin of the attack to Pakistan-based terror groups, the Indian government is now actively reconsidering its long-standing commitments to its western neighbour. Among the most serious reconsiderations is the potential revocation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT)—a landmark agreement that has endured decades of hostilities but may no longer survive the weight of bloodshed.

On Tenterhooks

In the initial years after Partition, the water sharing between India and Pakistan was governed by the Inter-Dominion Accord of 4 May 1948. According to this accord, India was required to release sufficient water through existing canals to Pakistan’s region of the basin in return for an annual payment from the government of Pakistan. After years of stalled negotiations, the World Bank intervened in 1954 to resolve this contentious issue, which ultimately led to the signing of the Indus Water Treaty on 19 September 1960. The treaty granted India exclusive rights over the Eastern rivers like Ravi, Beas and Satluj, while allocating Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan. India gets roughly 30 per cent and Pakistan gets 70 per cent of the water carried by the Indus River System (IRS). Article III of the Treaty restricted India’s use of these rivers for domestic, non-consumptive, and agricultural purposes. Over the years, India has built large water infrastructure such as dams, barrages, and hydroelectr