This presentation deals with the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan in 1960.

3. Indus River Basin System
• 21st largest river in the world in terms of annual flow
• 60% of Indus basin lies in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (POK), 10% in Tibet, 25% in India and India-
Administered Kashmir, and 7% in Afghanistan
• Indus system is largely fed by the snows and glaciers of
the Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush ranges
• 80% of water for Upper Indus Rivers comes from Himalayan
glaciers
• 25 amphibian species and 147 fish species of which 22 are
endemic
• Indus is the most important supplier of water resources to
the Punjab and Sindh plains

4. Introduction
• Indus is a river system that sustains 200 million
people in India and Pakistan
• Both India and Pakistan have extensively dammed
the Indus River
• With competing demands of water both sides, the
conflicts sustain since 1947, year of partition
• Indus Water Treaty (IWT) agreed in 1960
• Transboundary water conflicts on climax now
• Climate change is supposed to add to conflicts
• New challenges to governance and institutions
• Need to reform the international legislation and
governance to cope with uncertainties

6. • Status Quo– East and West Punjab
signed standstill agreement in 1947.
• Dispute over the worth of Pakistan’s
irrigation canal network
• East Punjab (Indian side)suspends
water supply to West side
• Partition created issues – taking things
in their own hands

7. • Came to light on April 1,1948 after
partition of Punjab
• Cut across the rivers and canals
• India cutoff flow of canal water to West
Punjab
• Stopped the water of the rivers Ravi
and Sutlej
• India wanted to damage Pakistan
economically

8. Competing Water Demands
& Transboundary Conflicts
• Water disputes between Punjab and Sind provinces during
British India
• Conflict in the basin started in 1947 when India stopped water
flowing through its canals to Pakistan
• Dispute over Salal dam was settled in 1978
• Controversy on the Wullar Barrage/ Tulbul Navigation project
and Kishanganga hydroelectric dams remains unsettled.
• Baglihar dam created severe conflicts, but the issue was
settled by recourse to Neutral Expert
• Recent Conflicts created around: 57-metre high Nimoo-Bazgo
dam in Leh (India); 42-metre high Chuttak dam on Suru river
(India-Kashmir); Tulbul Navigation Project in India-Kashmir

9. Need for developmental infrastructure
Both countries needed massive water
infrastructure to support population
• East Punjab had 21 million with no food
supply
• It needed storage devices to develop arid but
fertile land
• West Punjab needed to ensure water supply

10. Some Major Dams on India’s Part of Indus River Basin

11. Transboundary Governance System
• Inter-Dominion Accord of May 4, 1948: required India to
release sufficient waters to Pakistani regions
• Pakistan wanted to take the matter to the International Court
of Justice but India refused
• In 1951, David E. Lilienthal, former chairman of Tennessee
Valley Authority, visited India and Pakistan.
• Lilienthal wrote an article with suggestions that Indus Basin
be treated, exploited, and developed as a single unit

13. Involvement of The World Bank
• The bank is reluctant to get involved initially
• World bank refuses loans to both countries
even though they were economically viable
• Offered an impartial third party
• Offered an option taking into account both
countries’ needs

14. Principles of Involvement
The bank offered a deal in 1954 based on 3
principles.
• There was enough water for both countries in
the basin.
• While considering the Sutlej River the entire
basin would be considered as one and all
rivers would be under discussion.
• The negotiations would retain a technical
focus rather than political focus

15. • Distribution on the basis of number of rivers
– 3 major eastern tributaries(Sutlej, Beas,
and Ravi) – India
– 3 major western tributaries(Chenab ,
Jhelum and the Indus) – Pakistan
• India pays $ 174 million over 10 years
• Canal and reservoir construction financed
through the Bank
• Commission to resolve future disputes
Features of the deal

16. • World Bank mediated from 1952 onwards, and Indus Waters
Treaty (IWT) was signed in September 1960 although
Pakistan, not fully convinced ,refused to sign until 1958
• IWT conferred rights over 3 western rivers of Indus river
system (Jhelum, Chenab and Indus) to Pakistan, and over 3
eastern rivers (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) to India

17. ChronologyofIndusWaterTreaty
(adaptedfromJutlaandDewayne,2009)

18. Reasons for success
A unique mix of circumstances contributed to
the success of the effort.
• Leadership
• Timeline
• Finances
• Restricted Discussion

19. Problems with the treaty
• Does not account for the increase demand in
India/Pakistan.
• India cannot build dams without consultation
on 3 tributaries
• Higher demand due to economic growth
cannot be addressed by major rivers of the
region
• Delays in projects

20. Some Adverse Effects
• It was a grave blow to agriculture of
Pakistan
• Pakistan’s agriculture vitally and
entirely depend on canals drawn from
Indus
• Rain fall is scanty and undependable
• Effected agriculture very badly
• Pakistan also purchased water from
India to avoid economic disaster.

22. • It is in the interest of India and Pakistan
to follow the treaty in letter and spirit
• Undisturbed flow from the western
rivers is must for survival of the
country – no one should be allowed to
play with it as it is matter of life and
death for Pakistan.
• We must have a strategy to ensure so.
Absence of such strategy could spell
disaster for the entire region!!!!