Indus Water Treaty 

Indus Water Treaty 

• India Assesses The Indus Waters Treaty Modification Process
• India and Pakistan signed the IWT in September, 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory.
• The treaty prescribed how water from the six rivers of the Indus River System would be shared between India and Pakistan.

Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project

• It is a run-of-the-river project .
• It requires to divert water from the Kishanganga River through a tunnel to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin.
• Pakistan objected to the project arguing that it will affect the flow of the Kishanganga River (called the Neelum River in Pakistan).
• In 2013, The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA) ruled that India could divert all the water with certain conditions

Dispute Resolution Mechanism

• While Pakistan has rights over the waters of Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, Annexure C of the IWT allows India certain agricultural uses, while Annexure D allows it to build ‘run of the river’ hydropower projects, meaning projects not requiring live storage of water.
• Disputes (“questions”) on both sides can be resolved at the Permanent Commission, or can also be taken up at the inter-government level.
• In case of unresolved questions or “differences” between the countries on water-sharing, such as technical differences, either side can approach the World Bank to appoint a Neutral Expert (NE) to come to a decision.

Practice Questions for Prelims

Consider the following statements regarding Indus Water Treaty:
1. Indus Water Treaty is a water distribution treaty between India and Pakistan brokered by United Nations
2. The commission is required to meet at least once in a year.
3. In cases of dispute or disagreement, Permanent Court of Arbitration alone is responsible for arbitration.

Select the correct statements:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) All of the above

Ans. b)

Mains Practice Question

The Indus Water Treaty is a complicated matter that affects both the stability of the area and the security of India. What recent changes have been made to the treaty’s implementation, and how have they affected relations between India and Pakistan? Examine.

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