The 117th Meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) comprising  Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan was held from March 1-3 in Islamabad.

The Indian delegation was led by P.K. Saxena, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters.

The Indus Waters Treaty

• India and Pakistan share the waters of six rivers — Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.

• The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank, which is also a signatory. 

• Under the Treaty, the water from the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Beas — averaging around 33 million acre feet (MAF) were allocated to India for exclusive use.

• The water from western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty.

• The Treaty also sets forth distinct procedures to handle issues which may arise: “questions” are handled by the Commission, “differences” are to be resolved by a Neutral Expert, and “disputes” are to be referred to a seven-member arbitral tribunal called the “Court of Arbitration.” 

• As a signatory to the Treaty, the World Bank’s role is limited and procedural.

• The Treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), which has a commissioner from each country.

• The two commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

• The previous meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission was held from March 23-24, 2021 in New Delhi.

The 117th Meeting of the PIC

• During the meeting, technical discussions were held regarding ongoing projects including Pakal Dul, Kiru and Lower Kalnai. The Indian side underscored that all its projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Treaty and provided technical details in support of its position.

• The Commission discussed the exchange of hydrological and flood data. Both sides discussed the issue of the Fazilka drain, and Pakistan assured that all necessary actions will continue to be taken to ensure the free flow of Fazilka drain into the river Sutlej.

• Both the Commissioners reaffirmed their commitment to interact more frequently in an attempt to resolve issues through bilateral discussions under the Treaty. 

• It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in New Delhi on mutually convenient dates.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store