India demanding a renegotiation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

Source: The post India demanding a renegotiation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has been created, based on the article “Staunch the breach: India and Pakistan need to drop hard line stances on the Indus Waters Treaty” published in “The Hindu” on 21st September is 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2- International relations-India and its neighbourhood- relations.

Context: The article discusses India’s demand to renegotiate the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. Disputes over projects like Kishenganga and Ratle have strained the process, with Pakistan resisting talks. The treaty’s future is now uncertain due to these tensions.

For detailed information on Indus Water Treaty read this article here

Why is India demanding a renegotiation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)?

1. Four notices from India: India has escalated its demand for renegotiation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), issuing four notices to Pakistan since January 2023.
2. Need for renegotiation: India argues the 1960 treaty needs updating to address new issues like climate change and the demand for renewable energy and hydropower projects.
3. Disputes over Kishenganga and Ratle projects: The current disputes have centered around the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects, which Pakistan escalated to international arbitration in 2016.
4. World Bank’s role in dispute resolution: The World Bank allowed two parallel dispute resolution processes— a neutral expert review and a Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) hearing.
5. Tensions over dispute mechanisms: Pakistan rejected the neutral expert’s process, while India boycotted the PCA hearings at The Hague.
6. Past resolution examples: The treaty successfully resolved previous disputes, such as the Baglihar Dam project in 2007 and India’s dispute with Pakistan over the Neelum project in 2013. However, the current mechanism is now facing gridlock.

How has the treaty affected India-Pakistan relations?

1. The treaty used to be a model for cooperation, but since 2016, it mirrors the breakdown of the India-Pakistan relationship.

2. There is no political engagement, trade has stopped, and even the 2021 ceasefire agreement is under threat.
3. Indian Prime Minister Modi’s statement, “blood and water cannot flow together” after the 2016 Uri attack, highlights this growing tension.

What is the future of the treaty?

The future of the Indus Waters Treaty is in doubt. India has stopped meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission until Pakistan agrees to renegotiation. There is hope that talks may resume at the SCO Heads of Government meeting in October 2024. The treaty must address new issues like climate change to remain relevant.

Question for practice:

Discuss why India is demanding a renegotiation of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.