In reaction to the deadly terror assault in Pahalgam by terrorists headquartered in Pakistan, the government has decided to halt the supply of water from the Indus River to Pakistan when the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty expired, according to reports.
According to sources, dams along the Indus River will have additional space to retain water. A day after New Delhi made the announcement, the government sent Pakistan with a formal notification on Thursday, enforcing its decision to suspend the pact.
According to the notification, all treaty responsibilities, including as meetings between Indus Commissioners, data sharing, and prior notice of new projects, are essentially suspended in “abeyance” with regard to the Indus Waters Treaty. With the treaty now suspended, India is free to construct dams on the river without needing approval or consultation with Pakistan.
India’s Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee wrote to the Pakistani officials, stating that Pakistan’s persistent cross-border terrorism against Jammu and Kashmir hinders India’s rights under the Indus Waters Treaty. “The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter read.
In the meantime, Pakistan said any action to halt the flow of water that belongs to Pakistan under the terms of the Indus Water Treaty would be viewed as a “act of war” and opposed India’s decision to suspend it on Thursday. After nine years of discussions, the nations signed the pact in September 1960 with the express purpose of managing cross-border river-related difficulties.
The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty was one of several punitive actions taken against Pakistan, which also included the downsizing of diplomatic missions, the immediate closure of the Attari land transit post and Obroi post, the cancellation of visas for Pakistani nationals, and the expulsion of Pakistani military attachés.
Experts predict that Pakistan’s agricultural sector will suffer greatly as a result of India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which will disrupt vital water data exchange and reduce flows during important harvest seasons. The pact, which was mediated by the World Bank, gives India the eastern rivers, the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi, and Pakistan the western rivers, the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Pakistan received a substantial portion of the average yearly flow of about 135 MAF. However, the treaty includes no clause allowing unilateral suspension.
