India issues formal notice to Pakistan for changes in Indus Water Treaty

The treaty grants India unrestricted access to 33 MAF from the eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) annually, while Pakistan receives about 135 MAF from the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab)

India has formally requested modifications to the Indus Water Treaty from Pakistan. The Indian government has issued a notice demanding changes due to significant shifts in circumstances that necessitate a treaty review. This follows an earlier notice sent in January 2023, which sought amendments to the 1960 treaty due to Pakistan’s lack of cooperation in its implementation.

The Indus Water Treaty

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, allocates water rights to both nations from the Indus river system. According to the treaty, India has unrestricted access to the waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — amounting to around 33 million acre-feet (MAF) annually. Meanwhile, Pakistan receives the majority of the water from the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — totalling around 135 MAF annually.

The treaty permits India to generate hydroelectric power through run-of-the-river projects on the western rivers, with specific design and operation criteria. Pakistan retains the right to object to these projects’ designs. Under the agreement, Pakistan controls roughly 80 per cent of the water in the Indus system, while India is allocated about 33 million acre-feet out of the total 168 million acre-feet. Currently, India uses just over 90 per cent of its allocated share.

Disputes under the Treaty

India’s water rights extend across several states, including Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, all of which also benefit from the Yamuna river, a Ganga tributary. Pakistan relies heavily on the Indus system, especially in Punjab, which is crucial for its agricultural sector. Disputes arise whenever India exercises its water rights or builds infrastructure as permitted by the treaty, often leading to heightened tensions.

One contentious project is the Tulbul Navigation Project, expedited by India following the Uri terror attack. Known as the Wullar Barrage project in Pakistan, this initiative was initially suspended in 1987 due to Pakistani objections. Despite India’s efforts to resolve the issue, Pakistan declined to engage in discussions during five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission held between 2017 and 2022. Recently, at Pakistan’s insistence, the World Bank has initiated processes involving both a neutral expert and a Court of Arbitration.

The treaty grants India the right to irrigate 1.34 million acres in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, but currently, only 642,000 acres are irrigated. It also allows India to store 3.6 million acre-feet of water from the western rivers. However, there has been minimal development of storage capacity in Jammu and Kashmir.

Additionally, India can construct run-of-river dams on the Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus rivers without obstructing the water flow, giving it the capability to temporarily restrict water flow allocated to Pakistan.

[With agency inputs]