The Indus Water Treaty was signed in Karachi by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistani president Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), country’s highest-decision making body on national security has taken strong measures against Pakistan over the cross-border linkages that have surfaced during probe of the deadly attack.
The CCS has taken a strong move to suspend the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan immediately and indefinitely. With the end of this treaty, the water supply from the Indus river and its distributaries – the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Satluj will be stopped. It shlould be noted that these rivers are the water supply for Pakistan and impacts tens of millions of people in that country.
Indus Waters Treaty: All you need to know
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960 between India and Pakistan. The treaty was signed between India and Pakistan with the World Bank brokering the agreement. It is interesting to note that this treaty has withstood three wars between India and Pakistan – in 1965, 1971, and 1999, but is now suspended indefinitely.
The Indus Water Treaty was signed in Karachi by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistani president Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
The treaty gives control over the waters of the three “Eastern Rivers” namely the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej located in India with a mean annual flow of 41 billion m3 – to India, while control over the waters of the three “Western Rivers” – the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum located in India with a mean annual flow of 99 billion m3 – to Pakistan.
While India received about 30% of the total water carried by the Indus Rivers System located in India, Pakistan got the remaining 70%.
The preamble of the major treaty recognises the rights and obligations of each country for the optimum water use from the Indus System of Rivers in a spirit of goodwill, friendship and cooperation.
How does water sharing work?
The treaty essentially split the six main rivers of the Indus system:
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India got primary control over the three eastern rivers:
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Pakistan got primary control over the three western rivers: