India vs Pakistan War: How much time will it take to stop Pakistan’s water under Indus Water Treaty? It is not easy for India due to…

After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam which claimed 26 lives, India has taken five major decisions to teach Pakistan a lesson. The biggest decision in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting is to suspend the Indus Water Treaty. India has said that as long as Pakistan continues to support terrorism, India will not implement this treaty. This decision of India is being considered a big blow against Pakistan.

In fact, 90 percent of the cultivable land of Pakistan’s Sindh and Punjab provinces is dependent on the water provided under the Indus Water Treaty for its water needs. In such a situation, if India stops the water of rivers like Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, then there can be an outcry in Pakistan. By stopping the water, not only will Pakistan’s cultivable land be on the verge of drying up, but drinking water and power projects will also suffer a major setback. Pakistan will have to bear the brunt of economic distress due to this step of India. However, now the question is whether it is so easy to cancel the Indus Water Treaty? Can India stop the water of all three rivers overnight? How much time will it take India to stop the water of these three rivers?

What is Indus Water Treaty

India and Pakistan signed an agreement in 1960 regarding the use of water from the rivers of the Indus water system. Under this agreement, India can use the water of the three eastern rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi. On the other hand, Pakistan was given rights over the water of the western rivers Jhelum, Chenab and Indus. The point to note here is that in the agreement that India signed with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, it kept only 20 percent of the water of the entire river system with itself. In exchange for peace, India allowed Pakistan to use 80 percent of the water.

Can the water of the three rivers be stopped overnight?

The decision taken by India by suspending the Indus Water Treaty clearly means that India will no longer allow Pakistan to use the water of the western rivers i.e. Jhelum, Chenab and Indus river, but the question is, is it that easy? Actually, India currently does not have the infrastructure to stop this water from reaching Pakistan overnight. Even if India does this by building dams or storing water, there can be severe floods in states like Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

So how long will it take to stop the water?

Looking at the current situation, India has planned four projects on the three western rivers. Two of these are operational and preparations are underway for two more. India has started the Baglihar Dam and Ratle Project on Chenab, which is part of Pakistan. Pakal Dul Project has been started on Marusudar, another tributary of Chenab, and Kishanganga Project on Neelam, a tributary of Jhelum. Out of these, only Baglihar Dam and Kishanganga Project are operational. In such a situation, if India stops the water of the three rivers that are part of Pakistan, then it is likely to take a lot of time. Actually, India will have to prepare infrastructure to use millions of cusecs of water received from these three rivers. Pakistan experts are also saying the same thing. Pakistani leaders say that India cannot stop the water received under the Indus Water Treaty overnight, so they have enough time to fight a legal battle against this decision of India.

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