India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan a day after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people, including tourists. The decision is one of five punitive measures taken by New Delhi in response to the attack.
The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan involving the Indus River system. This includes the main Indus River and five tributaries¡ªRavi, Beas, Sutlej, Jhelum, and Chenab. These rivers are critical water sources for both nations. While Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej are called Eastern Rivers, Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus are referred to as Western Rivers.
India is the upper riparian in this arrangement, meaning the rivers originate or pass through Indian territory before reaching Pakistan. According to Pradeep Kumar Saxena, a former Indus Water Commissioner, India has several options under this position. He told PTI that the current suspension could be a step toward a complete abrogation of the treaty.
Though the treaty itself has no clear exit clause, Saxena pointed out that Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties allows for withdrawal due to a fundamental change in circumstances. This legal ground could be used by India if it chooses to terminate the agreement entirely.
One significant area that may be affected is the operation of reservoirs like the Kishanganga in Jammu and Kashmir. India has long been restricted by the treaty from flushing these reservoirs. Reservoir flushing helps clear silt but must be timed during August, the monsoon period, as per the treaty.
With the treaty suspended, India is no longer bound to these timelines and can carry out reservoir flushing and filling whenever needed. However, doing this during the sowing season in Pakistan could affect agricultural irrigation, especially in the Punjab region, which depends heavily on these rivers.
India is also no longer required to follow design restrictions imposed by the treaty on new hydropower projects. In the past, Pakistan objected to several projects such as Salal, Baglihar, and Kishanganga. These objections may no longer apply, including for the eight hydropower projects approved post-Pulwama in Ladakh.
Another implication is the stoppage of flood data sharing. This could severely affect Pakistan¡¯s flood preparedness, especially during the monsoon season when river levels rise. India also gains freedom to store water from the Western rivers and take up flood control measures in Jammu and Kashmir.
At the time of India¡¯s Independence, the boundary between India and Pakistan was drawn right through the Indus Basin. Key irrigation projects¡ªMadhopur on the Ravi and Ferozepur on the Sutlej¡ªfell in Indian territory, even though their canals supplied water to Pakistan¡¯s Punjab. This was the starting point of the water-sharing conflict between the two countries.
The suspension of the treaty may also halt mandatory cross-border inspection tours between Indian and Pakistani officials. With water sharing already a sensitive topic, this move adds another layer of conflict to the already strained relationship between the two neighbours.
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