Indus Water Treaty suspension: The water shortage follows India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people.

Written by FE Online

India-Pakistan crisis: Amid India’s stance that “blood and water cannot flow together,” the flow of Indus River water to Pakistan’s Sindh province has sharply declined, triggering a severe irrigation crisis during the critical Kharif crop season.

According to Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the water released on June 16 was just 1.33 lakh cusecs, down 16.87% from the 1.6 lakh cusecs released on the same day last year. Punjab province also witnessed a decline of 2.25%. With monsoon rains still at least two weeks away, the shortfall is threatening to devastate crop yields and rural incomes.

Indus Water Treaty suspension

The water shortage follows India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people. In response, India halted not only water releases but also the routine sharing of hydrological data with Pakistan. The Modi government’s stance “blood and water cannot flow together” has effectively put the decades-old treaty on indefinite hold, creating uncertainty downstream.

Pakistan is now struggling to anticipate water levels without access to data, heightening the risk of both drought and sudden floods as the situation evolves.What do we know about the treaty?

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the division of six rivers between the two nations. India controls the three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers, which are Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Though tensions have flared over the years, the treaty had remained intact until this year’s suspension post Pahalgam terror attack.India’s recent moves mark a significant policy shift. For decades, it did not fully utilise its rights over the western rivers due to the rivers’ natural flow into Pakistan. That is now changing.

India’s canal plan gains momentum

India is preparing to construct a 113-km-long canal and 12 tunnels to divert excess water from the western rivers to its own states Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. According to officials, the feasibility studies are underway, and the full project could be completed in three years.

Home Minister Amit Shah recently declared, “Indus waters will be taken to Rajasthan’s Ganganagar through canals within three years,” adding that Pakistan would be left “craving for every drop of water.”

The new infrastructure aims to better utilise India’s share under the IWT and reduce surplus flow to Pakistan. 

Published Date: June 17, 2025