Pakistan violated Indus Water Treaty: India at Glacier Conference in Tajikistan

Hindustan Times

31-05-2025

New Delhi: India strongly objects and condemns Pakistan's attempt to use the International Glacier Conference in Tajikistan 'to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum,' said Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state for environment, forest and climate change during his address at the Plenary Session of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Saturday.
This is the first time India and Pakistan exchanged their views on the Indus Water Treaty at an international forum after India on April 23 decided to keep the treaty in abeyance following a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
'These Himalayan glaciers feed our critical rivers - such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus. It is undeniable fact that there have been fundamental changes in the circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was executed and that requires a reassessment of the obligations under the Treaty,' Singh said while adding that the changes include technological advancement, demographic changes, climate change, and the threat of persistent cross border terrorism.
'The treaty in its preamble says that it is concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. The obligation to honour the treaty in the good faith is fundamental to it. However, the unrelenting cross border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India,' Singh said during his address.
At the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said his country would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.
'India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable,' Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Sharif as saying.
HT had reported on May 3 that the Indus river basin, among the most vulnerable regions globally to climate change, is experiencing dramatically different impacts across its eastern and western tributaries, recent scientific research has shown, potentially making previous agreements on sharing of waters between India and Pakistan irrelevant.
Recent papers have now found that western tributaries like the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab are fed by glaciers with more stored water, while eastern tributaries including the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej draw from significantly lower glacier stored water reserves. Crucially, the pace of glacial melt is higher in the Western Himalayas that feed eastern rivers compared to the Upper Indus basin. This east-west disparity challenges the fundamental assumptions of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which allocated rivers based on historically stable flow patterns.
'From an entirely scientific perspective, the water sharing practices need to be revisited in view of climate change that can alter flow and increase disasters downstream,' Anil Kulkarni, distinguished visiting scientist and glaciologist from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had said.
India also emphasised that retreat of glaciers is not only a warning but an immediate reality with far-reaching implications for water security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of billions of people.
Kirti Vardhan Singh addressed the Plenary Session of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Saturday.
Highlighting the global and regional consequences of glacial retreat, the minister underscored that the phenomenon is accelerating, with disproportionate impacts on mountain regions such as the Himalayas. He reiterated India's deep-rooted concern, as a country intrinsically connected to the Himalayan ecosystem, and outlined a series of ongoing initiatives aimed at glacial monitoring and climate adaptation, a statement from the environment ministry said.
Singh highlighted that India is undertaking strategic actions under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) - a key component of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) - as well as the establishment of a Centre for Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies, designed to advance research and monitoring of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Indian Himalayan Region.
'India is leveraging advanced Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to systematically monitor changes in glacier mass, extent, and dynamics. These efforts are further strengthened through coordinated research by key national institutions, including the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE),' Singh said.
These initiatives are crucial to advancing scientific understanding of glacier systems and supporting data-driven policy formulation for the sustainable management of India's water resources, he added.
'India has strengthened disaster preparedness in the Himalayan region through improved early warning systems and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk mapping, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Regional cooperation was underscored as vital for strengthening resilience, improving data-sharing frameworks, and fostering coordinated responses to the challenges facing mountain ecosystems,' Singh informed.
Singh stressed India's commitment to equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC) in international climate action. He emphasised that while South Asia contributes minimally to global cumulative emissions, it remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.