RAJA FURQAN AHMED
The Indus Water Treaty is a water-distribution treaty between Pakistan and India which was agreed in 19th September 1960.
This Treaty is considered one of the most successful water-sharing formula in the world. After the independence, the Indus along with other rivers including Chenab and Jhelum flow from Jammu and Kashmir and enter into Pakistan. On the other side Beas, Sutlej and Ravi have their source in India.
As Pakistan is an agricultural state, this sector plays a central role in the economy. According to the reports, the agriculture sector provides around 21 percent of gross domestic production (GDP). So the agriculture sector in Pakistan depends on the flow of the rivers water. As compared to Pakistan, India has several rivers and water sources to support its agriculture.
Indus River mainly starts from the Tibet region of China and flows through the Jammu and Kashmir region and comes into Pakistan before falling into the Arabian Sea. It is joined by numerous tributaries. The Indus river system has been used for irrigation since decades. During the period of British rule in India, new reforms were undertaken. The large canal system was constructed, whereas old canals were revived.
In 1947 British India was partitioned, resulting in the creation of an independent India and Pakistan. The water system was thus divided between them, the head-works in India and the canals running through Pakistan. Later on, there was a short-term Standstill Agreement of 1947, but in 1948 India began withholding water from the streams that flowed into Pakistan. The Inter-Dominion Accord of May 4, 1948, required India to provide water to the Pakistani parts of the basin in return for annual payments from the government of Pakistan.
In 1948 India cut off the supply in most canals that went to Pakistan but later restored it. The accord was meant to meet immediate requirements and was followed by negotiations for a more permanent solution.
However, neither side was willing to compromise on her stance. Pakistan wanted to take that matter in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) but India opposed it arguing that the conflict should be resolved through bilateral talks. The Indian government several times made promises not to intervene and not go against the due right of Pakistan but in fact, they always stepped back from the promises and many times threatened to cut flow of the rivers.
In September 1950, the Indian government agreed to resolve this issue through Arbitration. India also demanded that there should be a court in which two members should be from each side and one neutral chairman. The proposal was accepted by Pakistan too. Later on, in 1951, David Lilienthal the former head of Tennessee valley authority (US agency to control floods, improve living standards of a farmer, navigation) and the US atomic energy commission visited the region to write a research article for Collier’s magazine. He had a keen interest in subcontinent region.
He wrote, “No armies with bombs and shellfire could divest a land so thoroughly as Pakistan could be devastated by the simple expedient of India’s permanently shutting up the source of water that keeps the field and the people of Pakistan green.”
After both the states agreed, the chairman of World Bank Eugene Black took this responsibility. He made a committee from both sides to overcome this problem. In his suggestion, engineers from both the countries formed a working group with the World Bank offering advice.
In 1954 World Bank proposed the solution. Within six years of talks between the two arch-rivals on September 19th, 1960 an agreement was signed between Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan in Karachi that is commonly known as Indus Water Treaty.
In the agreement, the World Bank divided the whole reservoirs into two parts. Beas, Ravi and Sutlej (Eastern River) were assigned to India while Chenab, Jhelum and Indus (western Rivers) were granted to Pakistan. The treaty also helps in financial assistance of building new dams, link canals, and barrages. Some notable work is Tarbela Dam in Indus River and Mangla dam in Jhelum River.
Furthermore in the Agreement, it was also decided for the storage of water Pakistan would be helped to build dams, barrages and around seven link canals in which India would financially help in the scheme. while the remaining amount would be given by the World Bank, US, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and other friendly states of Pakistan.
Moreover under the Treaty, all the waters of the three eastern rivers, averaging around 33 million acre-feet (MAF), were allocated to India. The waters of the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) averaging to around 135 MAF, were allocated to Pakistan except for ‘specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India. India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river projects on the western rivers which is subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted.
(The writer is a student of International Relations and Freelance journalist currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan. He can be reached at furqanraja1122@gmail.com)
Also Read:Meeting Maulana
