What is Indus Water Treaty Between India And Pakistan?

New Delhi: In a major move, India has issued a formal notice to Pakistan seeking to review the Indus Water Treaty saying that some "fundamental and unforeseen" changes in the circumstances require a reassessment of the pact. The Modi government served notice to   Pakistan under Article XII(3) of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) on August 30, sources have said. Pakistan is yet to react on the development. 

What is Indus Water Treaty?

On September 19, 1960, India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory to the pact, which sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two sides on the use of the waters of a number of cross-border rivers.

India in its notice to Pakistan said that some fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances require a reassessment of obligations under various articles of the treaty, the sources said.

With this notification, India has called on Pakistan to begin government-to-government negotiations in order to review the treaty under the provisions of Article XII(3), the sources said.

Key Highlights of Indus Water Treaty 

• Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan . 
• The Treaty was arranged and negotiated by the World Bank to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. 
• The pact was first signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960 by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani president Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
• The treaty includes water management systems for three eastern rivers namely Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, which are located in India with a mean annual flow of 41 billion m3 (33 million acre ft) to India. It also includes water management system of three ‘Western Rivers’ namely the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum located in India with a mean annual flow of 99 billion m3 to Pakistan .
• According to the treaty, India got access to about 30 per cent of the total water carried by the Indus Rivers System located in India while Pakistan got the whooping 70 per cent share.
• The Indus Water Treaty was brokered by World Bank due to Pakistan 's fear that since all these rivers were originating from India which had the control, it may face drought or famines in the future if there is a war between the two countries. 

Why Indus Water Treaty holds importance for Pakistan ?

• Under this pact, India got the control over Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, originating from India while Pakistan was given Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, also originating from India. 
• Rivers including Indus, Chenab and Jhelum enter Pakistan through India. According to the treaty, India can use 20 per cent water originating from these rivers while the remaining went into the Pakistan 's kitty. 
• Pakistan is largely dependent on these three rivers for its water supply as all these three river – Indus, Chenab and Jhelum – flows uninterruptedly to Pakistan .