India’s water manipulation & Indus Waters Treaty

INDIA, while undermining the Indus Waters Treaty, has launched what is being described as a “water war” against Pakistan through the controversial Chenab–Beas link tunnel project. Under this $23.5 billion project in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahul-Spiti region, a 9-kilometer tunnel is planned to divert around 2 million acre-feet of water annually from the Chenab River into the Beas River, with completion scheduled for July 2029. Under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan’s rights over the western rivers—Chenab, Jhelum and Indus—were recognized. Critics argue that this move violates the spirit of the treaty as well as international legal frameworks, including the UN Watercourses Convention 1997 and Article 60 of the Vienna Convention 1969. Pakistan, therefore, should urgently pursue legal and diplomatic options, including approaching the International Court of Justice, to challenge the project and safeguard its water rights. When the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, the then President of the World Bank, Eugene Robert Black, made extraordinary personal efforts to initiate the Indus Basin Development Project. Under the Indus Basin Development Fund Agreement, the United States provided $247 million, Germany $126 million as grants, the World Bank $80 million as loans, Canada $22.1 million, the United Kingdom $20.86 million, Australia $6.97 million, New Zealand $1 million and India also contributed $62.06 million. The project included two major storage dams, six barrages, eight link canals, a drainage system, roads and other infrastructure. These were completed on time without corruption. Mangla Dam stands as a prime example of institutional capacity. Tarbela Dam became the world’s largest earth-filled dam. After the completion of Tarbela Dam, Pakistan’s average annual GDP growth exceeded 7%, which at the time was among the highest rates in Asia. Interestingly, the WAPDA House in Lahore is also a legacy of this great project. The most notable success of Mr. Black’s initiative w