A bridge over the Indus River in Ladakh. Photo Credit: Commons
India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty will have a huge impact on Pakistan. According to water experts and policy makers, it may have a long-term impact on the agricultural production, food security and energy supply of the neighboring country. India is building its own infrastructure on the rivers of the Indus Valley to meet the requirements of the Indus Water Treaty without any obligations. Therefore India can take steps to stop the flow of water into the neighboring country.
A former chairman of the Central Water Commission told Business Standard, “The water supply cannot be stopped immediately because the rivers covered by the treaty are high-flowing rivers. We currently do not have adequate infrastructure to hold this amount of water. But when India builds reservoirs in its territory, the flow of water may stop because now there is no obligation to follow the Indus Water Treaty. The former chairman said that when the rivers are in full flow, Pakistan will not face any special problems. But if the water level in the rivers connected to the Indus Valley decreases, problems may increase for Pakistan. The water level in the two major reservoirs is slightly above the lowest level as of April 23. These reservoirs have great potential for power generation. The official said, ‘The main reason for this is that like India, Pakistan too did not receive good post-monsoon rains. Therefore the major rivers had to depend on snow melting from the mountains.
If India stops sharing flood and other flow related information with Pakistan as part of its decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, then Pakistan will not be able to get any information about the rivers and their water levels. This will increase his problems.
The Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 under the mediation of the World Bank. This treaty is considered to be one of the most sustainable transboundary water agreements in the world.
This treaty divides the six rivers of the Indus Valley between the two countries. According to the agreement, India got full control over the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej), while Pakistan got the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab). The three rivers that flow in Pakistan – the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab – account for about 80 per cent of the water flowing in the shared basin.
According to the agreement, India has the right to use the waters of the western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation. But he cannot build any structure that will divert or influence the flow of these three rivers. As far as Pakistan is concerned, these three rivers are actually its lifelines. These rivers not only irrigate its cotton and paddy but also provide irrigation facilities for a large part of its horticultural production.
The official said, ‘With the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, India has got the freedom to set up any number of projects on the three western rivers. These projects will stop the flow of water towards Pakistan.
First Published – April 24, 2025 | 10:36 PM IST
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