Latest news with #INDUSWATERSTREATY
India Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Indus water treaty on hold: Why India must also tackle environmental risks
Day after the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam that killed 26, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) for the first time as tensions between India and Pakistan soared to an all-time high.'The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism,' Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on the government's move as historic and justified, Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil said in a post on X, 'We will ensure that not even a drop of water from the Indus River goes to Pakistan.' While the move will hit Pakistan, which is already facing extreme weather events, economic downturn and rising civil unrest, the suspension will have several environmental concerns in India as GEOGRAPHY OF THE INDUS RIVER BASIN Originating in the glaciers of the Kailash range near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, Indus flows in a northwestern direction, joining the Arabian Sea through Pakistan in the basin drains an area of 11,65,500 km extending from China to India, and ending up in Pakistan. In India, it mainly covers the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), while its tributaries flow across Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, and the Union Territory of rivers Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas together make up the Indus River basin. The present capacity of the reservoirs in India cannot hold excess water. (Photo: Getty) WHAT IS INDUS WATERS TREATY?The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan and mediated by the World Bank over sharing of the water of the Indus River basin. Both countries are dependent on the rivers for irrigation and the agreement, India was granted exclusive control over the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — while Pakistan was given rights over the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — despite their origins in Indian territory in Jammu and treaty has endured through wars and diplomatic breakdowns, but the recent attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of security personnel and civilians, appears to have redrawn the lines. Under IWT India was granted exclusive control over the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. (Photo: Getty) ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS OVER SUSPENSION OF INDUS WATERS TREATYThe suspension of the treaty raises some concerns for India as well, primary among them being storage issues for the excess would require construction of new dams, check points and reservoirs. The months of May to June witness rapid glacier melt from the Himalayan mountains as temperatures rise. This leads to overflow of the present capacity of the reservoirs in India cannot hold excess water, thus making it difficult to divert to other regions due to a lack of reservoirs comes at a cost. It can damage the fragile terrain of the Himalayan region, displace local communities, increase the occurrence of earthquakes and landslides, and harm the delicate balance of the pristine ecosystem. According to reports released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Himalayas could lose up to 80% of their glaciers by the end of this century, which would mean more water into the river the suspension of the treaty is an unprecedented and bold move by the government as it responds to the dastardly terror attack, the next steps involve serious logistical and environmental concerns that can't be ignored. advertisement
India Today
26-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Pak's Shehbaz Sharif breaks silence amid tensions: Prepared for any misadventure
Breaking his silence on the escalating tensions with India, a rattled Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was ready for a "neutral and transparent investigation" into the Pahalgam terror attack but underscored that the country was prepared for any misadventure."Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent investigation... Peace is our preference. We shall never compromise on our integrity and security," the Pakistani Prime Minister said. advertisementSharif's remarks signal a toning down of the rhetoric that has been seen lately by other Pakistani leaders and his ministers, who have accused India of "staging" the Pahalgam terror attack to create a "crisis in the region".PAHALGAM ATTACK AND RETALIATION Pahalgam was witness to one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Kashmir in recent years after Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed 26 tourists in the scenic Baisaran Valley, dubbed as 'mini Switzerland'.India, which has indirectly held Pakistan responsible for the terror attack, responded with a raft of punitive measures and downgraded diplomatic ties. Apart from suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, India has cancelled the issuance of visas to Pakistanis and closed the Wagah-Attari has also responded with tit-for-tat measures and closed its airspace to Indian-owned and operated SHARIF ON INDUS WATERS TREATY advertisementOn the suspension of the Indus treaty, Sharif warned that any attempt to reduce or divert water belonging to Pakistan would be responded to with "full force".The Indus rivers are a lifeline for Pakistan and provide water for 80% of its agricultural land. Moreover, a third of its hydropower also depends on the Indus basin's water."Nobody should remain under any kind of false pretence... our armed forces are fully capable and prepared to defend the country and its sovereignty and integrality against any misadventure, as clearly demonstrated by its measured yet resolute response to India in its restless incursion in February 2019," the Pakistani PM February 2019, following the attack in Pulwama that left 44 soldiers dead, India launched airstrikes in Balakot, targeting terrorist following day, the Pakistan Air Force retaliated with a strike in the Rajouri sector of Jammu. In the ensuing aerial battle, India shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter Watch
NDTV
24-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty, Shuts Attari Border In Strong Response To Pakistan
Pahalgam Terror Attack: PM Modi-led Cabinet has decided to suspend Indus Waters Treaty indefinitely. New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security or CCS - the country's highest-decision making body on national security has taken some strict and punishing measures against Pakistan over the "cross-border linkages" that have surfaced in the investigation over the dastardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people, including one foreign national, were killed. India has decided to suspend the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan indefinitely. With this, the water supply from the Indus river and its distributaries - the Jhelum, and Chenab, may be diverted or stopped. These rivers are the main sources of water supply for Pakistan and impacts tens of millions of people in that country. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960. The pact was signed between India and Pakistan, with the World Bank brokering the agreement. That treaty withstood three wars between India and Pakistan - in 1965, 1971, and 1999, but is now suspended indefinitely. In addition to these, Mr Misri also announced that "The CCS reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil. It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account. As with the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror, or conspired to make them possible." Reacting to the decision to suspend the Indus treaty, Water Resources Minister CR Paatil said, "In the past too, an ultimatum was given to them (Pakistan) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Action was taken in the past, and this time too the perpetrators shall not be spared. As for the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, it has been a very good decision taken by the Cabinet." THE INDUS WATERS TREATY - AND WHAT IT MEANS TO SUSPEND IT Under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty governing six common rivers, India has the complete right over the waters of three rivers - Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, while Pakistan has the right over waters of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. The Indus Waters Treaty has been one of the rare long-standing treaties between India and Pakistan and has remained the single most successful example of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In 2019 too, after the Pulwama terror attack against paramilitary personnel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly told the Cabinet Committee on Security that "blood and water can't flow together." But at the time, chose not to implement it. But in the wake of this cowardly attack by Pakistan-based terrorist group The Resistance Front, who have claimed responsibility for killing 26 tourists in Kashmir, the top decision-making body in India has decided to suspend the water-sharing treaty. The Resistance Front is an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba. A water supply problem will be a matter of grave concern for Pakistan. In recent years, experts have warned that Pakistan is already on the brink of an era of acute water shortage caused by a combination of factors - among them population growth, climate change, and poor water management. In the past, when suspending the Indus treaty was being considered by India, Pakistan had said that a move to exit the treaty would be perceived in Islamabad as "an act of war." India's decision to suspend the water-sharing treaty reflects the depths of New Delhi's frustration with Islamabad over Pakistan's use of terrorism as an "instrument of state policy". SVEC VISA SCRAPPED FOR PAKISTANIS SVEC is short for SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. Under the programme, certain categories of dignitaries are issued a special travel document. This special instrument exempts them from the need for visas and other travel documents. Currently, the list includes 24 categories of people, including dignitaries, judges of higher courts, parliamentarians, senior officials, businesspersons, journalists and athletes.
India Today
24-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Explained: The myth, hype and truth of Indus Waters Treaty
The temporary suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in response to the deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam by Pakistan-backed terrorists has prompted a flurry of all there in the pact? Which country does it benefit the most? And most importantly, can it really deal a blow to Islamabad? We try to answer these IN THE INDUS WATERS TREATY?The bilateral treaty governs how the waters of six rivers of the Indus basin - Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej - are utilised and distributed between India and Pakistan. It allocates the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) to Pakistan and the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) to India. At the same time, the treaty allows each country certain uses on the rivers allocated to the other. Apart from India and Pakistan, the World Bank is also a signatory to the pact, which has so far survived political, military and diplomatic tensions and three wars.A country can build hydroelectric projects on rivers meant for the other country, as long as it doesn't reduce or block the flow of water downstream. advertisement Of the six rivers, four originate from different places in north India while two others are born in Tibet, currently administered by China. Ravi originates from Kullu hills, Beas from Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass, Jhelum from Verinag Spring in Kashmir and Chenab from the confluence of Chandra and Bhaga rivers in Himachal Pradesh's Tandi. Sutlej flows from Rakshastal Lake and Indus from Lake Mansarovar in India and Pakistan have constructed a number of dams and hydropower projects on these IS IT IMPORTANT FOR PAK?More than 20 hydropower projects - operational and planned - in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) rely on the Indus, said Dr Y Nithiyanandam, Professor and Head of Geospatial Research Programme at Takshashila institution.A third of Pakistan's electricity comes from hydropower, generated by water flowing through Tarbela, Mangla and other reservoirs. If upstream flows are reduced or poorly timed, it could cut its power generation treaty provides for a predictable flow of river waters for Pakistan. Pakistan's entire irrigation, energy and water management systems are built around this of seeds and canal schedules in Pakistan are based on this predictable flow. The suspension would also entail no sharing of river flow data by India, which could be susceptible to both drought and floods. The livelihoods of more than 15.2 crore Pakistanis are directly or indirectly tied to the river Indus. It is a vital resource for food production, electricity generation, and economic activity, making it an indispensable TO EXPACT IMPACT?It's not as if India will push a button and the taps will go dry in Pakistan the next day. But life could become more difficult in Pakistan."Any on-ground changes by India, including river diversion or major alteration to the river flows, will require at least a couple of years," said Dr Nithiyanandam. The western rivers are enormous. As the ice melts between May and September, it will be difficult for India to hold all the water with the present infrastructure. The hydropower projects in India have very limited live TROUBLES FOR PAKStudies on the Indus basin have shown that Pakistan's lower reaches have been experiencing overextraction of water and reduced river flow. Conditions are projected to worsen over the next three rising domestic demand and escalating climate change impacts, the water stress index in these areas exceeds a value of 2, signalling extreme has historically underinvested in sustainable water utilisation. At present, Pakistan lacks both the financial capacity and infrastructure to develop viable or shifts in river timing will intensify inter-provincial tensions, especially between Punjab and Sindh, where water-sharing debates are already politically are downsides to this decision too. India, being a downstream country on rivers like the Brahmaputra that originate in China, has long upheld the principle of respecting downstream rights. By suspending the treaty and acting unilaterally, it risks setting a precedent that could be used against Watch IN THIS STORY#Jammu and Kashmir#Pakistan
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
What is the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan?
Indian security force personnel stand guard at the site of a suspected militant attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi FILE PHOTO: People walk on the dry patch of the Indus River, in Jamshoro, Pakistan March 15, 2025. REUTERS/Yasir Rajput/File Photo What is the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan? NEW DELHI/KARACHI - India said it would immediately suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan as part of measures to downgrade diplomatic ties with its neighbour after militants attacked tourists in Kashmir, killing 26 men. The treaty had survived two wars between the bitter rivals and withstood many twists and turns in diplomatic ties before New Delhi's decision on Wednesday. WHAT IS THE INDUS WATERS TREATY? The nuclear-armed neighbours disagree over use of the water from rivers that flow downstream from India into the Indus river basin in Pakistan. The use of the water is governed by the Indus Waters Treaty, which was mediated by the World Bank and signed by the neighbours in September 1960. The agreement split the Indus and its tributaries between the two countries and regulated water sharing. India was granted the use of water from three eastern rivers - Sutlej, Beas and Ravi - while Pakistan was granted most of the three western rivers - Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. There is no provision in the treaty for either country to unilaterally suspend or terminate the pact, which has clear dispute resolution systems. WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS OVER WATER? The nuclear-armed neighbours have argued over and disputed several projects on the Indus and its tributaries in India for years. Pakistan is heavily dependent on water from this river system for its hydropower and irrigation needs. Pakistan says India unfairly diverts water with the upstream construction of barrages and dams, a charge India denies. Pakistan is concerned that India's dams will cut flows on the river, which feeds 80% of its irrigated agriculture. It has asked for a neutral expert and then an arbitration court to intervene in two recent hydropower projects. India has accused Pakistan of dragging out the complaints process, and says the construction of its Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects is allowed under the treaty. It has also sought modification of the pact to get around such delays. WHAT COULD THE SUSPENSION CHANGE? The suspension of the accord is not expected to have an immediate impact on the flow of water to Pakistan as India does not have enough storage capacity. But India's move could bring uncertainty for Pakistan's agricultural system. The suspension means India can stop sharing crucial information and data on release of water from barrages/dams or on flooding, Indian officials said, adding that New Delhi will also not be obliged to release minimum amounts of water during the lean season. HOW HAS PAKISTAN REACTED TO THE DECISION? The treaty is a binding international agreement brokered by the World Bank and contains no provision for unilateral suspension, a statement from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office said on Thursday. "Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force," the statement said. Pakistan's status as "lower riparian" refers to its downstream position. Ghasharib Shaokat, the head of product at Pakistan Agriculture Research, called the treaty the backbone of the country's agriculture sector. "It puts our agricultural future on shaky ground. If water flows become erratic, the entire system takes a hit — especially irrigation-dependent crops such as wheat, rice, and sugarcane," Shaokat said. "Yields could drop. Costs could rise. Food prices would likely spike. And small-scale farmers, who already operate on thin margins, would bear the brunt of it." Khalid Hussain Baath, chairman of a national farmers' union in Pakistan, painted the move as an act of belligerence. "This is a true war," Baath said from Lahore. "We already have a water shortage because of climate change. Low rainfall this year, and limited snow means that the water level is already 20-25% lower than last year." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
