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Indus Waters Treaty Suspended After Terror Attack

  • Writer: TPP
    TPP
  • May 26
  • 6 min read

Indus Interrupted: Water, War, and the Weight of History

In response to the terror attack on tourists in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, the Indian government declared the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Among Asia’s oldest rivers, the Indus is under growing pressure from political turmoil, climate change, population growth, and increasing water demand.

Infographic showing distribution of water under the Indus Waters Treaty.
Indus Water Treaty (IWT),1960: India’s territorial disputes in history

On April 22, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack shook the town of Pahalgam in Kashmir, claiming the lives of 26 civilians, including tourists. The tragedy sent shockwaves through New Delhi. In its aftermath, the Indian government announced a series of stern diplomatic responses — among them, the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).


For decades, the IWT has stood as a symbol of rare cooperation between two nuclear-armed neighbours: India and Pakistan. Its suspension reignited a recurring debate — how secure is a treaty over a river that has survived wars, terror attacks, and political volatility?


To truly understand why a river lies at the centre of one of the world’s most volatile rivalries, we must journey beyond 1947’s Partition lines — into the deep currents of history, civilisation, empire, and now, climate change.


Whispers of an Ancient River

The Indus River Basin spans four countries: Pakistan (61%), India (29%), China, and Afghanistan (8%). It is one of Asia’s oldest rivers, believed to have formed during the early Eocene Epoch, shaped by tectonic collisions that uplifted the Tibetan Plateau.


This ancient river gave birth to the Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 3000–1500 BCE) — one of humanity’s earliest and most sophisticated urban societies. Stretching over 1,500 kilometres, it was the largest of the ancient urban civilisations, alongside Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China’s Yellow River basin.

The city of Dholavira, now an archaeological site, features water reservoirs and drainage systems, reflecting advanced water management practices dating back over 4,000 years.

A water reservoir at Dholavira, a site of the Indus Valley Civilisation
A water reservoir at Dholavira, a site of the Indus Valley Civilisation (Source: Wikpedia)

From Alexander to Avantivarman: A Crossroads of Conquests

As civilisations flourished along its banks, the Indus became a corridor for conquest and cultural exchange. In 326 BCE, Alexander the Great crossed the Indus, marking a turning point in South Asian history. His departure paved the way for Chandragupta Maurya, who unified the region under the Mauryan Empire.


By the 8th century CE, Muhammad bin Qasim’s invasion introduced lasting political and religious shifts. In the 9th century, Hindu King Avantivarman (855–883 CE) in Kashmir utilised the Indus and its tributaries for flood control and agriculture, strengthening his kingdom.


Later, Mohammad bin Tughlaq introduced water harvesting and double cropping, increasing agricultural output across northern India.

Clearly, the Indus was not just a natural resource but a strategic asset — a fact deeply reflected in the cultural and spiritual life of ancient India.


The Sacred Geography of the Vedas

To truly appreciate the Indus’s historic stature, one must turn to the Rigveda, one of the oldest known texts in the world. According to Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, the Indus Basin in Vedic times was known as Sapt Sindhu — the “land of seven rivers,” which included the now-mythical Saraswati.

In the Rigveda, Book 6 describes the Saraswati as “surpassing in majesty and might of all other rivers,” but by Book 10, the Sindhu (Indus) had taken dominance.

Vedic names of rivers in the Indus Basin:

  • Indus – Sindhu

  • Chenab – Asikni

  • Jhelum – Vitasta

  • Ravi – Purushni

  • Sutlej – Shutudri

  • Beas – Vipas

This deep spiritual connection with the river system reveals how the Indus was seen not just as a resource, but as a living force — one that continued to shape society well into the colonial era.

 

Empire, Irrigation, and Control

As time progressed, the strategic importance of the Indus became evident to new rulers. The Mughal Empire advanced irrigation knowledge, but it was under the British Raj that the Indus River Basin underwent a massive transformation.


By the late 19th century, British engineers had constructed extensive canal systems in Punjab, turning the river into a tool of imperial control and agricultural expansion. The crown jewel of this era was the Triple Canal Project of 1915, which connected major tributaries through link canals.


These changes weren’t just about agriculture — they were strategic. “The British saw control over the trans-Indus region as key to imperial power, economic gain, and strategic security,” says Sinha.


Additionally, barrages and dams helped regulate flooding and ensured reliable irrigation, but also altered the river’s natural flow, forever changing its ecological balance.

 

Birth of a Indus Water Treaty: A River Divided

After Partition in 1947, both India and Pakistan inherited this highly interlinked irrigation system — but no clear plan for water sharing. Tensions quickly escalated. On April 1, 1948, India temporarily halted water flow to Pakistan, cutting off canals feeding Pakistani Punjab.


The World Bank intervened in 1951, mediating talks that led to the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ayub Khan.


Treaty Breakdown:

  • Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej): Controlled by India

  • Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab): Controlled by Pakistan

This division was implemented through massive infrastructure projects:

  • India built the Bhakra Dam (completed 1963)

  • Pakistan built the Tarbela Dam (completed 1977), funded by the Indus Basin Project with help from the World Bank and donor nations.

 

As historian David Gilmartin notes, “Intensification of water use lay at the heart of the treaty’s logic.”


Yet, despite this milestone, the treaty was far from perfect — a reality that became more apparent in the decades that followed.

Photo of Jawaharlal Nehru visiting the Bhakra Dam construction site.
Jawaharlal Nehru during the construction of the Bhakra Dam in Punjab, 1953 (Source: Wikipedia)

The Treaty Under Pressure

Over the last 65 years, the IWT has proven remarkably durable, surviving three wars (1965, 1971, 1999) and major terrorist attacks like:

  • Mumbai attacks (2008)

  • Uri attack (2016)

  • Pulwama attack (2019)

Each incident rekindled demands within India to review or suspend the treaty. Critics argue that the treaty is:

  • Inequitable:

    • Western rivers (Pakistan-controlled): 99–100 billion cubic meters (BCM)

    • Eastern rivers (India-controlled): 39–40 BCM

  • Environmentally outdated:

    • The treaty doesn’t account for climate change, glacial melt, or new water stress patterns.


Dr Nilanjan Ghosh argues that while India, as the upper riparian state, has upheld the treaty, it reflects an outdated model of water sharing. Historian Srinath Raghavan goes further, calling it a case of “minimal cooperation”, noting that it divides water without encouraging joint development.


Climate Crisis in the Indus Basin

Indus River Basin is now under immense strain. It is home to nearly 300 million people, and its water is vital for both drinking and agriculture, but is under threat from:

  • Climate change

  • Population growth

  • Rising water demand

According to Gilmartin:

  • 50% of Indus’s annual flow occurs between July and September, due to glacial melt and monsoon rains

  • 80% of the flow comes from glaciers or glacial melt

This makes the river extremely vulnerable:

  • Short-term: More flooding

  • Long-term: Less water availability during summer when it’s most needed


In Pakistan, where the Indus supports 90% of agriculture, water availability has dropped below critical levels. Worse:

  • Irrigation losses exceed 50%

  • The Indus Delta is drying up, affecting fisheries and coastal livelihoods


Almost all of Pakistan’s water flows from other countries, especially India and Afghanistan,” says Michael H. Fisher, author of An Environmental History of India.


“With melting glaciers and erratic monsoons, Pakistan no longer controls the diminishing Indus flow.”

India, as the upper riparian, holds a strategic edge. “India can theoretically stop the water whenever it wants,” Gilmartin warns — referencing the 1948 stoppage as a historical precedent.

But it’s not just about upstream control. Dr Ghosh argues that mismanagement within Pakistan — especially in water-intensive agriculture — contributes to the crisis. “Agriculture uses most of the water, leaving little for delta fisheries. There’s no proper water management, only massive wastage,” he says.

 

Beyond Borders: A Shared Challenge

India faces similar challenges with the Brahmaputra River, which flows from China into northeastern India and onward to Bangladesh. China has been constructing dams on the Brahmaputra for over a decade, potentially altering flow downstream — a situation mirroring the Indus dynamic.


But Srinath Raghavan makes an important point: “Environmental diplomacy will become essential. Climate change will require cooperation, not confrontation.

Photo of the Brahmaputra River flowing through India and China.
The Brahmaputra (Source: Wikipedia)

Water as a Bridge, Not a Weapon

Despite conflict and crisis, rivers like the Indus can inspire cooperation. As Uttam Kumar Sinha notes, more than 3,600 international water treaties have been signed since 805 AD, many during political turmoil.


Other rivers — the Nile, Mekong, Danube — have led to sustained dialogue and agreements, even between adversaries.


The Indus, too, could become a foundation for shared solutions in an age of shrinking resources and rising temperatures.

 

Conclusion: A River of Reckoning

The Indus is not just a river — it is a living testament to civilisation, conflict, and coexistence. It has endured empires, treaties, terror, and now, a changing climate. As geopolitical tensions continue and the planet warms, the question remains:

Will the Indus become a weapon, or a bridge?


The answer lies not just in policy, but in perspective — whether we choose to treat water as a finite prize, or as the shared lifeblood of a fragile region.

 

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