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29/01/23 09:55 AM IST

Indus Waters Treaty

In News
  • India has issued a notice to Pakistan for modification of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that was brokered by the World Bank to facilitate the sharing of water of the Indus River system between the two countries.
Indus water treaty
  • The Indus river basin has six rivers- Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej
  • These rivers originate from Tibet and flow through the Himalayan ranges to enter Pakistan, ending in the south of Karachi.
  • In 1947, the line of partition, aside from delineating geographical boundaries for India and Pakistan, also cut the Indus river system into two.
  • Both the sides were dependent on water from the Indus river basin to keep their irrigation infrastructure functional and therefore, equitable distribution was needed.
  • Initially, the Inter-dominion accord of May 1948 was adopted.
  • According to this, both countries, after meeting for a conference, decided that India would supply water to Pakistan in exchange for an annual payment made by the latter.
  • This agreement however, soon disintegrated as both the countries could not agree upon its common interpretations.
  • In 1951, in the backdrop of the water-sharing dispute, both the countries applied to the World Bank for funding of their respective irrigation projects on the Indus and its tributaries.
  • This is when the World Bank offered to mediate the conflict.
  • Finally in 1960, after nearly a decade of fact-finding, negotiation, proposals by the World Bank and amendments to them, an agreement was reached between the two countries.
  • The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan.
  • The former Vice President of the World Bank, W.A.B. Iliff, also signed it.
Provisions of the treaty
  • The treaty prescribed how water from the six rivers of the Indus River System would be shared between India and Pakistan.
  • It allocated the three western rivers—Indus, Chenab and Jhelum—to Pakistan for unrestricted use.
  • Barring certain non-consumptive, agricultural and domestic uses by India.
  • The three Eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas and Sutlej—were allocated to India for unrestricted usage.
  • This means that 80% of the share of water or about 135 Million Acre Feet (MAF) went to Pakistan, while leaving the rest 33 MAF or 20% of water for use by India.
  • It also required both the countries to establish a Permanent Indus Commission constituted by permanent commissioners on both sides.
  • The functions of the commission include serving as a forum for exchange of information on the rivers, for continued cooperation and as the first stop for the resolution of conflicts.
  • While Pakistan has rights over the waters of Jhelum, Chenab and Indus.
Source- The Hindu

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