Indus Waters Treaty
Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan, which was brokered by the World Bank in 1960. The treaty was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960 by then Indian Prime Minister Nehru and then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan. The partition of India was such that the source of rivers of the Indus basin was in India. Pakistan felt its livelihood threatened by the prospect of Indian control over the tributaries that fed water into the Pakistani portion of the basin.
An interim agreement was signed in 1948 and in 1952 Pakistan approached the World Bank for help to solve the problem permanently. After much negotiation, the treaty was signed in 1960. The treaty divided the use of rivers and canals between the two countries. Pakistan obtained exclusive rights for the three western rivers, Indus, Jehlum and Chenab. And India retained rights to the three eastern rivers, namely Ravi, Beas and Sutluj. The treaty also guaranteed ten years of uninterrupted water supply. During this period Pakistan was to build huge dams, financed partly by long-term World Bank loans and compensation money from India. Three multipurpose dams, Warsak, Mangla and Tarbela were built. A system of eight link canals was also built, and the remodeling of existing canals was carried out. Five barrages and a gated siphon were also constructed under this treaty.
The Indus Waters Treaty is the longest agreement that has been faithfully implemented and upheld by both India and Pakistan. However, with increased water stress in the future due to climate change, the treaty may have to be re-negotiated. Already, there is inter- provincial fighting in both India and Pakistan, pointing to increased water stress. Water availability in Pakistan has also fallen by 70%. Even today India thinks the treaty is unfair as it allocate 75% of the water to Pakistan and the Pakistanis think it is unfair as they have 90% of the irrigable land and Indus is their only source of water. The fact that both countries have a past which is marked by distrust and that they are equally matched in terms of military and nuclear power only adds to further complications. It is unclear as to whether the treaty will continue to hold or if India and Pakistan will be able to work together to combat changes.
