THIS govt company in HUGE debt, defaults on bank loans worth whopping Rs...
Donald Trump makes BIG proposal to Ukraine over Russia war, asks Zelenskyy, 'Can you hit...'
DNA TV Show: US President Donald Trump gives Putin 50-day deadline to end war with Ukraine
Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani become parents to a baby girl
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance's BIG win as Delhi HC directs e-commerce platforms to...
Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Dhaka to be demolished by Bangladesh govt? Mamata Banerjee says...
UIDAI shares BIG update on children above 7 with Aadhaar: 'To face risk of...'
Meet woman who started as trainee, will now become CEO of..., won major award at Cannes, she is...
EAM Jaishankar issues BIG statement during first China visit in 5 years: 'The three evils...'
Golden Temple receives bomb threat again, second RDX email in 24 hours, probe underway
Rs 10000000000: Indians losing huge amount of money every month due to...
ITR Filing AY 2025-26: Last date NOT same for all, check your date if you are...
What is non-veg milk? Know its connection with India-US trade talks
India to spend Rs 60000 crore on this fighter jet, cheaper than Rafale, F-35, it is loaded with...
LILPEPE Crypto Price Prediction 2025, 2026 – 2030: Little Pepe Price To Hit $0.50 Soon?
US-India tariff deal soon? THESE are main stumbling blocks, India may face increased tariff of Rs...
Nimisha Priya case: One day before execution, BIG relief for Kerala nurse jailed in Yemen
Axiom-4 Dragon spacecraft lands safely on Earth, PM Modi welcomes Shubhanshu Shukla
After Kiara Advani, Vikrant Massey quits Ranveer Singh-starrer Don 3; here's why: Report
Will India-China relations improve further after S Jaishankar meets Chinese President Xi Jinping?
RCB star bowler Yash Dayal gets BIG relief in sexual exploitation case, Allahabad HC orders...
Producer-actor Dheeraj Kumar passes away at 79
Amaal Mallik says Anu Malik ruined his father Daboo Malik’s career: 'My dad dealt with...'
Elon Musk's Tesla opens first India showroom in Mumbai's BKC: Project took ... days to be completed
SCO Meet: S Jaishankar meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, first since 2020 Galwan clash
BSE receives bomb threat, police launch search operation
Zomato boss Deepinder Goyal ropes in Shah Rukh Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, AR Rahman for..., watch
In 2nd such incident in 2 days, Delhi's St Stephen's College, school in Dwarka receive bomb threats
Storm, heavy rains batter parts of US: What is reason behind New Jersey, New York floods?
Shubhanshu Shukla to return from ISS today: When and where to watch Axiom 4 touchdown live
Haryanvi singer Fazilpuria targeted in roadside firing in Gurugram
Kavya Maran makes BIG change in SRH, appoints this former India speedster as..., he is...
Elon Musk's Grok inks deal worth $200 with Pentagon amid fallout with Donald Trump
UPSC CSE Mains 2025 schedule out, to be held on THESE dates, check full timetable
Amritsar’s Golden Temple receives bomb threat, email says...; police beef up security
Watch Shubhanshu Shukla showcasing stunning zero-gravity experiments on board ISS using...
INDIA
In a no-holds-barred rebuke to Islamabad while addressing the countrymen on Monday evening, PM Modi made in clear in the most unambiguous terms that India would not reconsider its decision of putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in spite of the ceasefire.
In what may be called a strong signal to Pakistan that may force it to change its stand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rebuffed Pakistan on the Indus Waters Treaty. In a no-holds-barred rebuke to Islamabad while addressing the countrymen on Monday evening, PM Modi made it clear in the most unambiguous terms that India would not reconsider its decision of putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in spite of the ceasefire. He said, "Blood and water can not flow together."
Immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack, India announced it would put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. However, it was not a knee-jerk reaction, as New Delhi had earlier asked Islamabad to reconsider the treaty. But, instead of taking the initiative for talks on sharing river water, Pakistan threatened to move the World Bank.
Brokered by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty is a water-sharing agreement signed by India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960. The agreement details the use of six rivers flowing through the two countries. While Pakistan got the administration of the Western Rivers, the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, India was authorized to control the Eastern Rivers of the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The Indus Waters Treaty has been criticized several times for allocating almost 80%, or 135 million acre-feet, or 167 billion cubic meters of the Indus system's water to Pakistan and 20% or about 33 million acre-feet or 41 billion cubic meters of water to India.
As Pakistan is heavily dependent on the Indus Water System for 80% of its irrigated agriculture in Punjab and Sindh, the suspension of the treaty is most likely to hit it hard. The approaching summer season and the subsequent cultivation period may be especially harsh for Islamabad. If India releases water from the reservoirs constructed on the Western rivers, flash floods can ravage low-lying areas in Pakistani Punjab along the Ravi or Sutlej. Pakistan suffered a devastating flood in 2022, and it had to declare an emergency and appeal to the international community for help.
With the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, India will no longer be restricted in using the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. India can construct dams and reservoirs on these rivers, which would adversely impact Pakistan. However, it will take years and massive investment, so it will not have an immediate impact.
As the Indian side of Punjab is heavily dependent on the Eastern Rivers of the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej for irrigation and hydropower, its projects like the Bhakra Dam (Sutlej), Pong Dam (Beas), Thein Dam (Ravi), and the recently completed Shahpurkandi Barrage (Ravi) will be in an advantageous position as these can use more water. Punjab will also get more benefits from the Indira Gandhi Canal and the Sirhind Canal for agriculture.
Jammu and Kashmir, where the heinous attack took place, are not exposed to the Indus Waters System to a large extent. It irrigates only 642,000 acres out of a permitted 1.34 million acres. Similarly, hydropower projects like Kishenganga (Jhelum tributary) and Ratle (Chenab) are designed to minimize water storage and flow alteration. The Tulbul Hydroelectric Project on the Jhelum has been stalled for a long time due to Pakistan's objection. Islamabad can become more rigid, and the project may remain stalled.
If India decides to harness the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab by altering its flow, it could disrupt aquatic ecosystems and the Harike Wetland in Punjab. Climate change has already threatened long-term water security with the melting of glaciers like never before in the Indus Basin, which is already considered the world’s second-most overstressed aquifer.
The Indus Waters Treaty has been considered a template for the common use of rivers in Southeast East Asia. Now countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, which share rivers with India, may become suspicious, and they may bargain hard in any future water deal with New Delhi.
Though the immediate impact of the suspension of the Indus Waters System is limited, it carries the risks of flooding, ecosystem damage, interstate disputes, and geopolitical fallout, including potential escalation with Pakistan and strained relations with other neighbors. On the other hand, the long-term water security in both regions remains threatened by climate change and aquifer stress.