In a sharp response to the terrorist attack in the Pahalgam of Jammu & Kashmir, India announced a series of measures against Pakistan on Wednesday, including the suspension of the Indus-Water Convention that controls the waters of the River Indus.
Everything about the Indus Waters treaty
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- India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters treaty on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations, where the World Bank was a signer of the Pact.
- The Convention describes a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two parties about the use of the waters of a number of cross-border rivers.
- According to the agreement for six common rivers, all the water of the eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas and Ravi that amount to around 33 million hectares of feet (MAF) annually to India for unlimited use.
- The waters of the Western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – which amount to approximately 135 crazy every year, are largely assigned to Pakistan.
- According to the Convention, India has the right to generate Hydro -electricity through the run of the river projects on the western rivers, subject to specific criteria for design and operation.
- The treaty also gives the right to Pakistan to increase objections about the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on Western rivers.
- The Convention justifies the two commissioners to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, a meeting that would be held in New Delhi in March 2020 was canceled in view of the COVID-19 Pandemie.
- The provisions of the Convention can be changed from time to time by a properly ratified treaty that has been concluded between the two governments for that purpose.
- The preamble of the Convention says: “The government of India and the government of Pakistan, who likes to reach the most complete and satisfying use of the waters of the Indus system of rivers and recognizes the need, so the need for determining and delimitation of a spirit of goodwill and friend of friendly that may be corresponded to the interpretation below, conclude to promote these objectives, and for this purpose they mentioned their proceedings … “
- The treaty was signed under the leadership of the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan.