Indo-Pak Water Treaty

The Indus water treaty between India and Pakistan in 1960 has taken centre stage once again. In line with its plan to fully use its share of water without violating the long-standing treaty, India has started work to rechannel the water into states like Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan instead of letting it flow in Pakistan. A data show that India uses nearly 93% to 94% of its share under its Indus water treaty. The rest of the water is unutilized and flows into Pakistan.

What is Indus water treaty?

The Indus water treaty was signed in 1960 by the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and then Pakistani President Ayub Khan. It was administrated by the World Bank which took 9 years of negotiations. It divided the control of 6 rivers between the two countries. India got control over river Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, While Pakistan got control over Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

How India has been utilizing its shares of waters from the three rivers in the Indus Basin ?

Three western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab were proposed to flow unrestricted to Pakistan. However, India is being big country is entitled 20% use of waters from Western rivers. But India is not availing even the use of 20% that it is entitled from the Western rivers. In Fact, India is not even fully utilizing water of 3 Eastern Rivers assigned entirely to it. About 2 million acre feet of water annually from Ravi river flowing unutilized to Pakistan.

The BJP led NDA Government has announced that it will stop water from flowing into Pakistan without violating the Indus water treaty. According to Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, the process to secure Eastern river water in the Indus Basin by building a diversion has already started.

Pakistan again lied that India is stealing its water.

The Indus water treaty is considered one of the most successful water sharing endeavours in the world. But this has not prevented Pakistan from drumming up Anti India propaganda on water issues. Pakistan has time and again falsely blamed India for its own water crisis. It has repeatedly made false allegations that India is violating Indus water treaty.