Suspending Indus Waters Treaty May Deepen Pakistan’s Water Crisis, Says Ex-CWC Chief
New Delhi: India’s recent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) could significantly impact Pakistan’s water security and preparedness, according to Kushvinder Vohra, former Chairman of the Central Water Commission.
Speaking to NDTV, Mr. Vohra highlighted that India, with the treaty placed in abeyance, is no longer required to share real-time data with Pakistan on water levels, flow rates, or flood forecasts — information that has historically played a critical role in downstream water management in Pakistan.
“During monsoon, India will not provide Pakistan with any updates on flood situations within the Indus River System,” he emphasized, adding that hydrological data sharing was a core confidence-building measure under the treaty.
The suspension comes in response to a recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in the killing of 26 tourists by Pakistan-linked terrorists. Mr. Vohra said that while India hasn’t revoked the treaty, that option remains on the table should Pakistan continue its “negative posture.”
Meanwhile, the suspension allows India to focus on developing water storage infrastructure and fully leveraging its rights over the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — which already fall under India’s unrestricted use as per the treaty.
Signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations with the World Bank as a broker, the Indus Waters Treaty governs the distribution and usage of six rivers shared by the two countries. India is permitted to build run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects on the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — which are otherwise allocated to Pakistan.
The treaty also mandates that Indian and Pakistani water commissioners meet annually. However, the last scheduled meeting in Delhi in March 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not been rescheduled since.
The latest developments signal growing diplomatic and environmental tensions in the region, as both nations navigate a complex mix of geopolitical conflict and shared natural resources.
