Even as Pakistan has reached out to India rethink on the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960, New Delhi has so far not responded till its concerns regarding terrorism are addressed and the pact is completely revamped. Instead, India is proactively bolstering its water storage and canal infrastructure, strategically positioning itself to divert the flow of water from Pakistan’s rivers ahead of any negotiations.
Sources said New Delhi has not responded to any of Pakistan’s letters and will not engage with the neighbouring country in any capacity till it’s concerns regarding terrorism are addressed and the pact is completely revamped. Pakistan’s Water Resources Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza has reached out multiple times, urging India to reconsider the decision to put the IWT in abeyance. In multiple letters to his Indian counterpart, Debashree Mukherjee, Murtaza has repeatedly expressed his government’s readiness to discuss specific objections raised by New Delhi. India has not responded to any of Pakistan’s letters and will not engage with the neighbouring country in any capacity till New Delhi’s concerns regarding terrorism are addressed and the pact is completely revamped, the sources said.
As per situation report dated June 5 of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) the water release dropped to 1.24 lakh cusecs, compared to 1.44 lakh cusecs on the same date last year in Pakistan’s Punjab, the latest data shows. The Indus level at Tarbela dam in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is down to 1,465 metres, while the dead level is 1,402 metres.
At Chasma dam in Punjab on the Indus, the water level is at 644 metres, just above the dead level of 638 metres. The Mangla dam on the Jhelum in Mirpur is at a level of 1,163 metres, just above the 1,050-metre dead level.The dead level means that below that level, there are no outlets to drain the water in the reservoir by gravity.
Pakistan anticipates a 21per cent water shortage due to India’s steps in the early Kharif season, which lasts until June 10. The situation is particularly grave at Marala in Sialkot, Punjab, where the mean discharge on the Chenab dropped to just 3,064 cusecs on June 5 from 26,645 cusecs on May 28, Pakistani data shows.
Pakistan is currently facing a severe water crisis affecting its Kharif crops amid extreme summer heat and India’s regulation of Indus water. Reports indicate that Pakistan also approached the World Bank for intervention, but the organisation declined to intervene.
India placed the 1960 IWT in abeyance following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed and Mukherjee had officially conveyed the decision to Pakistan. Brokered by the World Bank, the IWT has governed the distribution and use of the water of the Indus river and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.
The Indus river system comprises the main river, the Indus, and its tributaries. Ravi, Beas and Sutlej are collectively referred to as the eastern rivers, while the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab are known as the western rivers. After putting the IWT in abeyance, India is planning a study to maximise the utilisation of its share of water within the treaty with Pakistan. The study aims at optimising water resources, including the development of new infrastructure, and ensuring that India’s rights under the treaty are fully utilised.
