Indus River system and the debate on Indus Water Treaty

The 64-year-old Indus Water Treaty is again successful the quality amid India’s propulsion to renegotiate it and Pakistan’s objections to the plan features of 2 hydroelectric projects (HEP) nether operation successful Jammu and Kashmir. The Kishanganga HEP connected Kishenganga, a tributary of the Jhelum, and the Ratle HEP connected the Chenab. 

To comprehend the Indus Water Treaty, it’s important to recognize the Indus River System: its origin, course, tributaries and truthful forth. Let’s archetypal person a little overview of the treaty. 

Indus Water Treaty

India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty connected September 19, 1960 to guarantee the organisation of waters of the Indus and its tributaries. It was signed successful Karachi by past Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and past Pakistan President Ayub Khan.

In the discourse of the treaty, Pakistan became the little riparian authorities – a spot wherever the stream ends – and India the precocious riparian authorities – wherever the stream originates. According to this treaty, India got exclusive rights implicit the 3 eastbound rivers – Ravi, Sutlej and Beas – amounting to astir 33 cardinal acre-feet (MAF), oregon astir 20% of the full h2o of the Indus stream system. Pakistan got power implicit the 3 occidental rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – receiving astir 135 MAF, oregon 80% of the full water. 

However, India tin usage the h2o of occidental rivers for specified domestic, non-consumptive and cultivation purposes. India has besides the close to make hydroelectricity done run-of-the-river (RoR) projects, taxable to circumstantial criteria for plan and operation.

Article IX of the pact contains the quality solution mechanism. It is simply a three-tier process: First, disputes are addressed done the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), comprising representatives from some countries; past done the World Bank-appointed Neutral Expert, and arsenic a past resort, done the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Indus River system 

A river, on with its tributaries, is called a stream system. The Indus River strategy comprises six rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The Indus and Sutlej are antecedent rivers, meaning they existed adjacent earlier the enactment of the Himalayas and chopped heavy gorges aft originating successful the Tibet region. The different 4 rivers – Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Beas – originate successful India.   

The Indus Basin extends crossed 4 countries, namely China, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In India, the basin spans the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir arsenic good arsenic Chandigarh and the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The full drainage country of the basin is astir 3,21,289 sq. km, accounting for astir 9.8% of India’s full geographical area.

Western Rivers 

The Indus River originates from the trans-Himalayan scope of Kailash (in Tibet) adjacent Mansarovar Lake, wherever it is known arsenic ‘Singi Khamban’ oregon the Lion’s Mouth. Flowing westward, it enters India astatine Demchok successful Ladakh. In India, the magnitude of the Indus River is astir 1,114 kilometres and it flows betwixt Ladakh and Karakoram ranges successful the Union Territory of Ladakh. 

The main close slope tributaries of the Indus River are the Shyok (originates from Rimo Glacier), the Shigar, and the Gilgit, portion Zaskar, and Hanle are its near slope tributaries. It runs a full of 2,880 kilometres earlier falling into the Arabian Sea adjacent Karachi, Pakistan. ‘The Indus River Dolphin’, an endangered taxon arsenic per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, is recovered chiefly successful the Indus River.

The Jhelum River (252 km) originates from a outpouring astatine Verinag adjacent the Pir Panjal and flows done Wular Lake successful Srinagar earlier entering Pakistan. It joins the Chenab adjacent a spot called Jhang successful Pakistan. The Chenab River, the largest tributary of the Indus, has a magnitude of 1,180 km successful India. It is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers astatine Tandi successful Keylong, Himachal Pradesh. 

Eastern Rivers 

The Ravi River (95 km) originates from the Kullu Hills adjacent Rohtang Pass successful Himachal Pradesh and merges with Chenab astatine Sarai Sidhu successful Pakistan. The Beas River (354 km) rises from the Beas Kund (elevation: 4,000 metre supra oversea level) adjacent Rohtang Pass successful Himachal Pradesh. It flows done the Kullu Valley and meets Sutlej adjacent Harike successful Punjab successful India. The Harike Barrage was built successful 1952, which diverts h2o for the Indira Gandhi Canal system. 

The Sutlej River (676 km) is an antecedent stream originating from Rakas Tal (elevation: 4,555 m supra oversea level) adjacent Mansarovar successful Tibet. It is known arsenic Langchen Khambab successful Tibet earlier entering India adjacent Ropar. 

To utilise the waters of the eastbound rivers, India has built the Ranjit Sagar Dam connected Ravi, the Bhakra Dam connected Sutlej and the Pong and Pandoh Dam connected Beas. Some different important projects connected these rivers see the Beas-Sutlej Link, the Madhopur-Beas Link and the Indira Gandhi Canal Project. With the assistance of these projects, India utilises astir 95% of the waters of the eastbound rivers. 

However, it is immoderate of India’s projects connected the occidental rivers that Pakistan has raised objections to implicit time. India’s important projects connected the occidental rivers see the Salal Dam Project, the Baglihar Hydropower Project, the Pakal Dul Project, and the Kiru Project, each connected the Chenab River, portion the Tulbul Project is located connected the Jhelum River successful Jammu and Kashmir.

Why India seeks renegotiation of Indus Water Treaty

In July 2022, the Parliamentary Standing Committee connected Flood Management and International Water Treaties presented its report, and observed that the Indus Water Treaty signed successful 1960 was based connected the disposable knowledge and circumstances of that time. It recommended that the Indian authorities instrumentality indispensable diplomatic measures to renegotiate the pact successful airy of present-day challenges specified arsenic planetary warming, clime change, h2o availability, and biology impact. 

In August 2024, India formally notified Pakistan nether Article XII (3) of the treaty, seeking reappraisal and renegotiation connected the ground of contiguous challenges specified arsenic colonisation growth, clime change, and the alleged misuse of quality mechanisms by the neighbouring country.

Unlike the Ganga and Brahmaputra River systems, the Indus River strategy has the largest glaciated country and is mostly babelike connected coagulated precipitation and glacier meltwater. However, existent clime alteration is presenting challenges related to h2o availability and organisation successful the basin. Given the risks of planetary warming, some India and Pakistan stay susceptible to these changes. 

Therefore, portion the Indus Water Treaty has been a diplomatic occurrence and has withstood periods of heightened tensions betwixt the 2 countries, “fundamental and unforeseen changes successful circumstances”, reportedly highlighted by India successful its September 2024 notification, necessitate a request to revisit the Treaty.

Post Read questions

Why is the Indus River strategy important for India and its neighboring countries?

What are the large dams built by India connected the eastbound rivers of the Indus system?

What are the cardinal h2o absorption projects linking the Beas and Sutlej rivers?

How overmuch of the eastbound rivers’ h2o does India utilize, and done which projects?

Why has Pakistan raised objections to immoderate of India’s projects connected the occidental rivers?

(Abhinav Rai is simply a Doctoral campaigner astatine the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.)

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