Can India really stop river flowing into Pakistan?
Summary
India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) which covers the sharing of six rivers between India and Pakistan, in the wake of an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. The move has escalated tensions between the two nations, with Pakistan stating that it will view any attempt to stop water flow as an act of war.Key Facts
- India has suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan.
- The IWT survived two wars between the two nations and is an important example of trans-boundary water management.
- According to the treaty, three eastern rivers of the Indus basin belong to India, while 80% of three western ones are allocated to Pakistan.
- The suspension is a part of series of measures that India has taken against Pakistan after Tuesday’s attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
- Pakistan has countered these measures with reciprocal ones against Delhi and has denied India’s accusation of backing cross-border terrorism.
- India’s infrastructure is mostly comprised of run-of-the-river hydropower plants, which do not require extensive storage.
- With the suspension of the treaty, India may modify existing infrastructure or build new ones to hold back or divert more water without informing Pakistan.
- India, the upstream country, has geographic advantage over Pakistan.
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