1he lndus WaLer LreaLy falls ln Lhe shadow of Lhe lndependence of lndla and aklsLan from 8rlLlsh

lmperlal rule and Lhe subsequenL parLlLlon LhaL caused severe losses on boLh sldes lL ls a waLer sharlng
LreaLy slgned beLween Lhe 8epubllc of lndla and Lhe lslamlc republlc of aklsLan and brokered by Lhe
World 8ank (Lhen known as Lhe lnLernaLlonal 8ank for 8econsLrucLlon and developmenL)
1he LreaLy was a resulL of aklsLanl fear LhaL slnce Lhe source of Lhe rlvers of Lhe lndus basln was ln
lndla lL would exerclse hegemony over waLer supply and developmenL especlally ln Llmes of confllcL ln
LruLh Lhese fears were an exLenslon of Lhe dlspuLe over Lhe kashmlr reglon
1he PlsLory
1he waLers of Lhe lndus basln begln ln Lhe Plmalayan mounLalns ln Lhe sLaLe of !ammu and kashmlr
1hey flow from Lhe hllls Lhrough Lhe arld sLaLes of un[ab and Slndh converglng ln aklsLan and
empLylng lnLo Lhe Arablan Sea souLh of karachl 1he parLlLlon of 8rlLlsh lndla creaLed a confllcL over Lhe
plenLlful waLers of Lhe lndus basln 1he newly formed sLaLes were aL odds over how Lo share and
manage whaL was essenLlally a coheslve and unlLary neLwork of lrrlgaLlon lurLhermore
Lhe geography of parLlLlon was such LhaL Lhe source rlvers of Lhe lndus basln were ln lndla Where lndla
cerLalnly had lLs own amblLlons for Lhe proflLable developmenL of Lhe basln aklsLan felL acuLely
LhreaLened by a confllcL over Lhe maln source of waLer for lLs culLlvable land
1he layers and Lhelr oslLlons
uurlng Lhe flrsL years of parLlLlon Lhe waLers of Lhe lndus were apporLloned by Lhe lnLeruomlnlon
Accord of May 4 1948
1hls accord requlred lndla Lo release sufflclenL waLers Lo Lhe aklsLanl reglons of Lhe basln ln reLurn for
annual paymenLs from Lhe governmenL of aklsLan 1he accord was meanL Lo meeL lmmedlaLe
requlremenLs and was followed by negoLlaLlons for a more permanenL soluLlon
Powever nelLher slde was wllllng Lo compromlse Lhelr respecLlve poslLlons and negoLlaLlons reached an
lmpasse lrom Lhe lndlan polnL of vlew Lhere was noLhlng LhaL aklsLan could do Lo prevenL lndla from
any of Lhe schemes Lo dlverL Lhe flow of waLer ln Lhe rlvers aklsLan's poslLlon was dlsmal and lndla
could do whaLever lL wanLed aklsLan wanLed Lo Lake Lhe maLLer Lo Lhe lnLernaLlonal CourL of
!usLlce buL lndla refused argulng LhaL Lhe confllcL requlred a bllaLeral resoluLlon
1he lnformal neLwork
ln 1931 uavld LlllenLhal formerly Lhe chalrman of Lhe 1ennessee valley AuLhorlLy and of Lhe uS
ALomlc Lnergy Commlsslon vlslLed Lhe reglon Lo wrlLe a serles of arLlcles for Colllers magazlne LlllenLhal
had a keen lnLeresL ln Lhe subconLlnenL and was welcomed by Lhe hlghesL levels of boLh lndlan and
aklsLanl governmenLs
loJlo ooJ loklstoo wete oo tbe vetqe of wot ovet kosbmlt 1bete seemeJ to be oo posslblllty of
oeqotlotloq tbls lssoe ootll teosloos oboteJ Ooe woy to teJoce bostlllty woolJ be to cooceottote oo
otbet lmpottoot lssoes wbete coopetotloo wos posslble ltoqtess lo tbese oteos woolJ ptomote o seose
of commoolty betweeo tbe two ootloos wblcb mlqbt lo tlme leoJ to o kosbmlt settlemeot AccotJloqly l
ptoposeJ tbot loJlo ooJ loklstoo wotk oot o ptoqtom jolotly to Jevelop ooJ jolotly to opetote tbe loJos
8oslo tlvet system opoo wblcb botb ootloos wete JepeoJeot fot lttlqotloo wotet wltb oew Joms ooJ
lttlqotloo coools tbe loJos ooJ lts ttlbototles coolJ be moJe to ylelJ tbe oJJltloool wotet eocb coootty
oeeJeJ fot locteoseJ fooJ ptoJoctloo lo tbe ottlcle l boJ soqqesteJ tbot tbe wotlJ 8ook mlqbt ose lts
qooJ offlces to btloq tbe pottles to oqteemeot ooJ belp lo tbe flooocloq of oo loJos uevelopmeot
ptoqtom (Colbotl 9J)
Lugene 8 8lack Lhen presldenL of Lhe World 8ank made a dlsLlncLlon beLween Lhe funcLlonal and
pollLlcal aspecLs of Lhe lndus dlspuLe lndlas prevlous ob[ecLlons Lo Lhlrd parLy arblLraLlon were
remedled by Lhe 8anks lnslsLence LhaL lL would noL ad[udlcaLe Lhe confllcL buL lnsLead work as a
condulL for agreemenL 8lack proposed a Worklng arLy made up of lndlan aklsLanl and World 8ank
englneers 1he World 8ank delegaLlon would acL as a consulLaLlve group charged wlLh offerlng
suggesLlons and speedlng dlalogue
negoLlaLlons
1he 8ank had expecLed LhaL Lhe Lwo sldes would come Lo an agreemenL on Lhe allocaLlon of waLers
nelLher lndla nor aklsLan seemed wllllng Lo compromlse Lhelr poslLlons Whlle aklsLan lnslsLed on lLs
hlsLorlcal rlghL Lo waLers of all Lhe lndus LrlbuLarlesand LhaL half of WesL un[ab was under LhreaL
of deserLlflcaLlon Lhe lndlan slde argued LhaL Lhe prevlous dlsLrlbuLlon of waLers should noL seL fuLure
allocaLlon lnsLead Lhe lndlan slde seL up a new basls of dlsLrlbuLlon wlLh Lhe waLers of Lhe WesLern
LrlbuLarles golng Lo aklsLan and Lhe LasLern LrlbuLarles Lo lndla 1he subsLanLlve Lechnlcal dlscusslons
LhaL 8lack had hoped for were sLymled by Lhe pollLlcal conslderaLlons he had expecLed Lo avold
llnally ln 1934 afLer nearly Lwo years of negoLlaLlon Lhe World 8ank offered lLs own proposal 1he
proposal offered lndla Lhe Lhree easLern LrlbuLarles of Lhe basln and aklsLan Lhe Lhree wesLern
LrlbuLarles Canals and sLorage dams were Lo be consLrucLed Lo dlverL waLers from Lhe wesLern rlvers
and replace Lhe easLern rlver supply losL by aklsLan
1hls new dlsLrlbuLlon dld noL accounL for Lhe hlsLorlcal usage of Lhe lndus baslnor Lhe facL LhaL WesL
un[abs LasLern dlsLrlcLs could Lurn lnLo deserL and repudlaLed aklsLans negoLlaLlng poslLlon Where
lndla had sLood for a new sysLem of allocaLlon aklsLan felL LhaL lLs share of waLers should be based on
preparLlLlon dlsLrlbuLlon 1he World 8ank proposal was more ln llne wlLh Lhe lndlan plan and Lhls
angered Lhe aklsLanl delegaLlon 1hey LhreaLened Lo wlLhdraw from Lhe Worklng arLy and
negoLlaLlons verged on collapse
CounLer SLraLegles
1he aklsLanl press meL rumors of an end Lo negoLlaLlon wlLh Lalk of lncreased hosLlllLles Lhe
governmenL was lllprepared Lo forego Lalks for a vlolenL confllcL wlLh lndla and was forced Lo reconslder
lLs poslLlon lndla was also eager Lo seLLle Lhe lndus lssue large developmenL pro[ecLs were puL on hold
by negoLlaLlons and lndlan leaders were eager Lo dlverL waLer for lrrlgaLlon
aklsLan began proxy wars wlLh lndla Lhrough popular and armed lnsurgencles by fundlng varlous
separaLlsL and mlllLanL facLlons ln kashmlr 1he lnvolvemenL of Lhe Chlnese and Lhelr clalm on kashmlr
led Lo an uneasy alllance wlLh aklsLan 1hls has led Lo Lhree lndoaklsLanl War (1947 1963 and 1999)
and one Slnolndlan War (1962)
8esoluLlons and ulssoluLlons
ln uecember 1934 Lhe Lwo sldes reLurned Lo Lhe negoLlaLlng Lable 1he World 8ank proposal was
Lransformed from a basls of seLLlemenL Lo a basls for negoLlaLlon and Lhe Lalks conLlnued sLop and go
for Lhe nexL slx years
Cne of Lhe lasL sLumbllng blocks Lo an agreemenL concerned flnanclng for Lhe consLrucLlon of canals and
sLorage faclllLles LhaL would Lransfer waLer from Lhe easLern lndlan rlvers Lo aklsLan 1hls Lransfer was
necessary Lo make up for Lhe waLer aklsLan was glvlng up by cedlng lLs rlghLs Lo Lhe easLern LrlbuLarles
1he World 8ank lnlLlally planned for lndla Lo pay for Lhese works buL lndla refused 1he 8ank responded
wlLh a plan for exLernal flnanclng supplled malnly by Lhe unlLed SLaLes and Lhe unlLed klngdom 1hls
soluLlon cleared Lhe remalnlng sLumbllng blocks Lo agreemenL and Lhe 1reaLy was slgned ln karachl on
SepLember 19 1960 by lndlan rlme MlnlsLer !awaharlal nehru and resldenL of aklsLan Mohammad
Ayub khan
rovlslons
1he ermanenL lndus Commlsslon has survlved Lwo wars and provldes an ongolng mechanlsm for
consulLaLlon and confllcL resoluLlon Lhrough lnspecLlon exchange of daLa and vlslLs as well as
cooperaLlve arrangemenLs for Lhe developmenL of Lhe basln LlLher parLy musL noLlfy Lhe oLher of plans
Lo consLrucL any englneerlng works whlch would affecL Lhe oLher parLy and Lo provlde daLa abouL such
works ln cases of dlsagreemenL a neuLral experL ls called ln for medlaLlon and arblLraLlon
1oday
Accordlng Lo kashmlrl SeparaLlsLs lndus waLer LreaLy has deprlved ! k sLaLe Lo use lLs own waLer
resources clalmlng losses ln agrlculLure and energy
lndla ls currenLly bulldlng a dam and a hydroelecLrlc waLer pro[ecL aL nlmoo 8azgo !ammu and kashmlr
aklsLanl auLhorlLles allege Lhe pro[ecL ls a vlolaLlon of Lhe lndus WaLers 1reaLy lndla holds LhaL lL ls
commlLLed Lo Lhe LreaLy 1he counLrles are ln Lalks over Lhe lssue as of 2010
Source
hLLp//enwlklpedlaorg/wlkl/lndus_WaLers_1reaLy