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India Today
24-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
India hits pause on Indus Waters Treaty: Could this dry up Pakistan's economy?
For Pakistan, the Indus Waters Treaty was a lifeline, flowing steadily even through wars, nuclear threats, and diplomatic breakdowns. But now, India has turned off the has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a water-sharing agreement signed with Pakistan in 1960. The announcement was made by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday, a day after a deadly attack in Pahalgam killed several civilians. The government said the move will stay in place until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border decision to suspend the treaty was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), India's top body on national security matters, after early investigations showed links between the attackers and groups based across the marks the first time that India has officially put the Indus Waters Treaty on hold, despite years of political tensions and conflict between the two IS THE INDUS WATERS TREATY?The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after years of talks between India and Pakistan, where the World Bank acted as the treaty divides the six rivers of the Indus Basin between the two countries:advertisementEastern Rivers: Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej were given to Rivers: Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were given to is allowed to use the western rivers for non-consumptive purposes like irrigation and hydropower but is not allowed to store or divert large amounts of water from the agreement, India gets about 20% of the total water in the system—roughly 33 million acre-feet (MAF), or 41 billion cubic metres (bcm), while Pakistan receives about 80%, which is around 135 MAF or 99 THIS MATTERS TO PAKISTANPakistan is already facing a water crisis. The country has very low water storage, with the two main dams, Mangla and Tarbela, able to store only about 14.4 MAF. This is just 10% of Pakistan's annual water share under the Indus system plays a key role in Pakistan's economy:advertisement About 80% of Pakistan's farmland, or 16 million hectares, is watered by the Indus system93% of the water from these rivers is used for farming, including wheat, rice, sugarcane, and cottonThe system supports over 237 million people, of which 61% live within the Indus BasinIt contributes nearly 25% to Pakistan's GDP, mainly through agriculturePakistan is already one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. The average amount of water available per person has been going down fast. Any sudden or large cut in water flow will make the situation warn that the fallout from the suspension could be serious:Food production may drop sharply, affecting prices and availabilityPower cuts may increase, especially in rural areasCities may face drinking water shortages, adding pressure on urban systemsUnemployment may rise, especially among farmers and daily wage workersRural migration to cities may increase, leading to overcrowding and more pressure on resourcesIndia uses its share of the water, around 33 MAF, mainly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, for farming and power. But it may now decide to build new storage projects or change water flow patterns, which could directly reduce the amount of water reaching is still not clear if the suspension will be permanent or temporary. There is also no official statement yet from Pakistan on how it plans to respond. But with water such a critical part of Pakistan's economy and daily life, the effects could start to show Watch
India Today
23-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
India puts Indus Waters Treaty on hold: What it signifies
In a bold diplomatic offensive against Pakistan following the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in abeyance with immediate decision, taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting of the country's highest decision-making body on national security, reflected an unprecedented shift in India's strategic posture, as the government declared that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan "credibly and irreversibly" abjures its support for cross-border IS INDUS WATERS TREATY?Brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty has long been hailed as a rare instance of sustained cooperation between India and Pakistan. Under 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 Kashmir. The 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 CCS concluded that Pakistan's continued support for terrorism violates the very spirit of the treaty. Rather than a formal withdrawal, India is opting to freeze all treaty-related cooperation — including technical meetings, data sharing, and water flow WILL IT IMPACT PAKISTAN?advertisementThe decision is poised to have far-reaching consequences for Pakistan. The country is heavily dependent on the Indus River system for its agriculture, which forms the backbone of its economy. Nearly 90% of Pakistan's irrigation depends on water from the Indus basin. Any disruption — or even the perception of future disruption — in water supply from the western rivers could exacerbate water scarcity, reduce crop yields, and fuel domestic unrest, especially in the already water-stressed provinces of Punjab and India's move is aimed at applying pressure on Pakistan's establishment by converting a long-standing symbol of cooperation into a lever of deterrence. For years, India refrained from linking water diplomacy with terrorism, but the Pahalgam attack seems to have redrawn that message is clear: Cross-border terror will now invite strategic costs. This shift could force Islamabad to reconsider its policy calculus, especially if international support for India's position CAN PAKISTAN DO?On the international front, Pakistan may seek the World Bank's intervention — the treaty's guarantor. However, India is expected to argue that no country can expect the benefits of a peacetime agreement while actively undermining Delhi will likely emphasise that abeyance is a temporary suspension, not a breach, and that cooperation can resume once Pakistan takes verifiable steps against terror groups operating from its the CCS decision may put Pakistan's leadership under pressure. The military, which holds significant sway over national security and foreign policy, may be forced to respond with either de-escalation or heightened rhetoric. Civilian political parties, meanwhile, will face increasing pressure from their constituents — especially farmers — to ensure that water flow from India remains meanwhile, is expected to accelerate development on a number of hydroelectric and storage projects along the western rivers — including Pakal Dul, Ratle, Kiru, and Sawalkot — all permissible under the treaty but often delayed due to Pakistani the treaty in abeyance, India could now proceed without engaging in traditional bilateral Watch
