India’s stand on Indus Waters Treaty unchanged, clarifies MEA

• India’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent and the treaty stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on July 3.

• India suspended the treaty in 2025 as one of the punitive measures against Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack claimed 26 lives.

• MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that for any normalisation of water-sharing arrangements under the treaty, Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably renounce its support for cross-border terrorist activities against India.

What is 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.

Can India walk out of the pact unilaterally?

• The Indus Waters Treaty does not allow either country to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement.

• According to Article XII of the treaty, it states that the provisions of the treaty, or any modifications made under paragraph (3), remain in force until terminated by a mutually ratified treaty between both governments.

• If India wishes to terminate the treaty, it must adhere to the guidelines of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)