New Delhi: Despite being surrounded by economic crisis, Pakistan is not getting high from its actions. India has sent a notice to Pakistan to amend the Indus Water Treaty. India has issued a notice to Pakistan regarding the review of the September 1960 Indus Water Treaty. The notice has been sent to the Commissioners of Indus Waters on January 25. This treaty was signed in September 1960. According to government sources, the steps taken by Pakistan have adversely affected the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty.
According to reports, at Pakistan’s repeated request, the World Bank has now initiated proceedings on the Neutral Exercise and Court of Arbitration process. No parallel consideration of these issues is covered under any of the provisions of the IWT. According to sources, the government maintains that India has been a letter supporter and responsible partner of the water treaty with Pakistan. But Pakistan’s action forced India to issue the necessary notice. India’s notice of inquiry into the IWT has given Pakistan an opportunity to communicate with the government within 90 days to rectify material violations of the IWT.
Pakistan should respond within 90 days
The main purpose of the notice issued by the Indian government is to give Pakistan 90 days to rectify the violation of the agreement. This is the first time that India has sought to amend the Indus Water Treaty. Now Pakistan has 90 days time to communicate with Indian government.
Pakistan’s action forced India
India has issued a notice to Pakistan through the concerned commissioners on January 25. This notice to Pakistan has been issued in terms of Article XII (3) of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960. The Indus Water Treaty was signed on 19 September 1960 after nine years of negotiations between the two countries. The World Bank is also a signatory to this treaty.
What did India say in the notice?
In the notice issued by India, India has said, “India has always implemented the Indus Water Treaty responsibly. But Pakistan’s actions have adversely affected the provisions of the IWT and its implementation. An immediate notice had to be published for the amendment.
Why did India issue a notice?
In 2015, Pakistan requested the appointment of a neutral expert to investigate its technical objections to India’s Kishanganga and Ratal hydroelectric projects (HEPs). But in 2016, Pakistan unilaterally withdrew the request and proposed that an arbitral court decide its objections. This action by Pakistan is in violation of Article IX of the Indus Water Treaty. India therefore requested that the matter be referred to a neutral expert. Pakistan refused to discuss the issue in five meetings of the Standing Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022, despite repeated attempts by India to mediate mutually. Thus, Pakistan’s continued violation of the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty forced India to issue a notice of amendment.
What is the Indus Water Treaty?
The Indus Water Treaty was signed on 19 September 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan. The World Bank is also a signatory to this treaty. The agreement regulates the sharing of water supply between the two countries from the Indus River and its tributaries. Under the provisions of this agreement, about 33 million acre feet (MAF) of the annual water consumption of eastern rivers such as Sutlej, Beas and Ravi have been allocated to India. At the same time, about 135 million acre feet of water from western rivers such as Indus, Jhelum and Chenab are allocated to Pakistan annually. In recent years, India has undertaken several ambitious irrigation projects and constructed several upstream dams. Pakistan opposed this in 2015. While India says that the use of water is completely according to the treaty.
Pakistan gets 80 percent of its water
According to the Indus Water Treaty, India has been given the right to generate hydroelectric power through ‘run of the river’ projects on western rivers with certain conditions. Pakistan gets about 80 percent of the water under the Indus Water Treaty. Out of about 160 million acre-feet of water, about 33 million acre-feet of water is available to India. Even of that, India uses only a little more than 90 percent of the water.