Indus water treaty notice to Pakistan

Why in the news?

India has issued a notice to Islamabad seeking modification of the 62-year-old IWT (Indus Waters Treaty). On January 25, the notice was issued.
The notice has been sent regarding the "intransigence" in implementing the treaty, raising objections to the construction of hydel projects on the Indian side.
The notice has invoked IWT's Article XII (3), which deals with the treaty's final provisions and is referenced in the notice as being modified.
Ninety days are given to Pakistan to consider the intergovernmental negotiations to rectify the material breach of the treaty.

What is the Indus Water Treaty?

It is the water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan.
It grants Pakistan a significantly larger proportion of the waters from the six rivers.
In 1948, India blocked Pakistan's water supply and restored it after the ceasefire.
In 1951, the matter was taken to the UN, which accused India of cutting the water supply to many Pakistani villages.
In 1954, on the recommendation of the UN, the World Bank came up with the agreement.
It was signed on September 16 1960.
The World Bank handled the negotiations.
Tibet is where the Indus River rises.
Since India was partitioned in 1947, the Indus River's runs through India, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan have been the source of conflict between the four nations.

Hydroelectric projects in India

The notice is the fallout of the longstanding dispute over two hydroelectric projects that India is doing–

Although Pakistan has frequently objected to these projects, no agreement has been reached.

What are the Indus Water Treaty issues?

Concerns about the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power projects being built in Jammu and Kashmir by India were raised by Pakistan in a 2016 letter to the World Bank.

Then, India requested that impartial experts examine the plants, claiming that Pakistan's concerns were technical and did not call for an arbitration court (even though Pakistan had already filed a claim with one).
Following the conclusion of negotiations between the two nations regarding the specifics of the treaty, the World Bank granted India permission to move forward with the projects.
During this time, calls for leaving the IWT spread throughout India as a result of the terrorist attack in Uri, which Pakistan supported.

The Rann of Kutch is located in Gujarat, India, traversed by Pakistan's Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) project.

India has objected, claiming that this violates the IWT, as it was not consulted before construction.
Given that the lower riparian state is in India, all information must be provided. The threat of flooding in Gujrat is also there.

The IWT has also been criticized for being signed by the then-prime minister Nehru on behalf of India. He was not the head of state, and the treaty should have been signed by the country's president at the time, who was.
In 2021, Pakistan objected to the massive 624 MW project over the Chenab river in Jammu & Kashmir, claiming that the dam violated the Indus Water Treaty.

The Indian government claimed that the dam's construction adhered to the treaty's predetermined guidelines.

A riparian state is located next to a river.

What are the implications of India's notice?

The implications of modifying the treaty have yet to be made clear.
Article XII (3) of the IWT is a procession to amend the treaty, not a dispute resolution mechanism. Nevertheless, the amendment can happen only through a "duly ratified Treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments".
As of now, it is still being determined what will happen after 90 days because Pakistan is under no obligation to agree to the proposal of India.
Article XII (4) outlines a similar process for ending the treaty: "a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments."
India has made it clear what it wants to be modified, but since the Uri attack, there has been an increase in demand for India to use IWT as a tactical tool.

India has yet to use its full control over the waters of the three east-flowing rivers under IWT.

India has yet to makeused its limited rights over the three west-flowing rivers intended for Pakistan.

Following the Uri attack, India created a high-level task force to utilize the treaty's full potential.

Snapticle