Islamabad: India has sent a second notice to Pakistan, asking to change the 64-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). This follows an earlier notice from January 2023. India believes that changes in population and farming needs since the treaty was signed in 1960 mean it needs to be updated.
The new notice focuses on renegotiating how water is shared from the Indus River and its tributaries. The main issue is two hydropower projects in Jammu & Kashmir: the Kishanganga and Ratle projects. Pakistan claims these projects go against the treaty’s rules.
India argues that its growing population and agricultural needs require changes to the water-sharing agreement. It has also linked these water issues to concerns about terrorism, saying these factors prevent full use of its water rights.
The IWT, established in 1960, divides water from six rivers between India and Pakistan. India controls the eastern rivers, while Pakistan has rights to the western rivers. Though the treaty allows India to use some water from the western rivers for power generation, how these projects are designed and operated is a point of conflict.
Recent events suggest that both countries may need to rethink their commitments to the treaty, considering new environmental and security issues.
