Indus Water Treaty : Important Facts You Need To Know

TREATY BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN CONCERNING THE MOST COMPLETE AND SATISFACTORY UTILISATION OF THE WATERS OF THE INDUS SYSTEM OF RIVERS.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting on Monday with senior government officials to review the Indus Waters Treaty has raised the possibility that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government may seek to alter or scrap the provisions of the 1960 pact with Pakistan.

Here Are Some Important Facts Regarding Indus Water Treaty

• The treaty was signed by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru with Pakistani president Ayub Khan on 19 September 1960 in Karachi.

• The Treaty got all financial fund from World Bank.

• The Indus Waters Treaty consisted mainly of water distribution and sharing rights of six rivers—Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum. All the rivers of the Indus Basin are in India.

• Under the Treaty, India and Pakistan have each created a permanent post of Commissioner for Indus Waters. They together constitute the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), which is entrusted with the implementation of the Treaty. 

• The PIC is required to hold meetings and tours and submit report on its work to the two Governments every year. 

• However, since Indus flows from India, the country is allowed to use 20 per cent of its water for irrigation, power generation and transport purposes.

• Under the Treaty, the waters of Eastern Rivers are allocated to India. India is under obligation to let flow the waters of the Western Rivers except for the following uses: (a) Domestic Use, (b) Non-consumptive use, (c) Agricultural use as specified, (d) Generation of hydro-electric power as specified.

• Though Indus originates from Tibet, China has been kept out of the Treaty. If China decides to stop or change the flow of the river, it will affect both India and Pakistan.Both sides are required to exchange information related to river flows observed by them, not later than three months of their observation and to exchange specified information on Agricultural Use every year.