Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

On April 23, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) announced extraordinary retaliatory measures against Pakistan following the killing of 26 people, including tourists, by terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

Key Actions Taken:

• Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.
• Immediate cessation of water flow data sharing with Pakistan.
• Ban on visits by Pakistani officials to Indian hydroelectric projects under construction — Kishenganga (on the Jhelum tributary) and Ratle (on the Chenab).

About the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT):

• Signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960, after 9 years of negotiations.
• Administered through 12 Articles and 8 Annexures (A to H).
• Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej): Allocated to India for unrestricted use.
• Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab): Allocated to Pakistan, but India has limited rights.
• Kabul River, a right bank tributary, does not flow through India.

Legal Basis for Suspension:

• Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties allows termination or suspension in case of a fundamental change of circumstances.
• The suspension removes design and operational restrictions on India regarding Western Rivers.
• India may now develop storage projects on the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers.