Indus Waters treaty: Explained in 10 points

Marking a major escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, the Union government on Wednesday, April 23 announced the suspension of the Indus Waters treaty. (Pic credit: Times of India)

Signed on September 19, 1960 between India and Pakistan, the Indus Waters treaty was brokered by the World Bank after nine years of negotiation. Signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan, the treaty aimed to manage and share the Indus River system peacefully. (Pic credit: World Bank)

Under the agreement, India was given exclusive rights over the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—while Pakistan received control over the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, which amount to nearly 80% of the total water flow. (Pic credit: World Bank)

The Indus River is a 3,180 km long trans-Himalayan river originating in the mountainous Western Tibet region, flowing through different regions in India and Pakistan before emptying into the Arabian Sea. (Pic credit: IANS)

Partition in 1947 divided the Indus basin between the two countries. In 1948, India temporarily stopped water flow to Pakistan. Pakistan raised the issue with the United Nations. Subsequently, World Bank was brought in as a neutral mediator. (Pic credit: IANS)

The Indus system is Pakistan’s lifeline for agriculture, portable water and rural economy. Provinces like Punjab and Sindh are especially dependent. (Pic credit: ANI)

Pakistan is already grappling with serious water challenges such as depleting groundwater, salinization of farmland, and inadequate water storage infrastructure. (Pic credit: ANI)

Pakistan’s two main dams—Mangla and Tarbela—have a combined live storage of only about 14.4 million acre-feet, which is just 10% of its annual water allocation under the treaty. (Pic credit: Institution of Civil Engineers)

Without the treaty’s guaranteed water supply, Pakistan would face enormous pressure to build storage, improve conservation, and navigate tough regional and global diplomacy to secure its water needs. (Pic credit: AP)

The Indus Waters treaty has withstood decades of conflict, but its suspension now could mark a dangerous turning point in India-Pakistan relations and worsen water security in an already stressed region. (Pic credit: ANI)