Indus Waters Treaty no longer viable as Pakistan supports terror: India

India has made its position clear: the Indus Waters Treaty, a 64-year-old pact on sharing river waters, cannot function in its current form. The reason, according to New Delhi, is Pakistan's continued backing of cross-border terrorism.

Government sources familiar with the matter told TIVRA News that the treaty is effectively in a state of suspension. India has not formally walked away, but it has kept the option of a full exit firmly on the table.

Why the treaty is at a breaking point

The treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the waters of the Indus system between the two neighbours. India controls the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), while Pakistan has rights to the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). But India's patience has worn thin.

“The Indus Waters Treaty in its present form no longer exists,” an official source said. “Pakistan's state sponsorship of terrorism makes it impossible for India to continue as if business is normal.” New Delhi has long accused Islamabad of using the treaty as a shield while allowing militant groups to operate from its soil.

Focus on Chenab and renegotiation

The government is now shifting its attention to the Chenab river basin in Jammu and Kashmir. This is a critical move. Under the treaty, India is allowed to use the waters of the Chenab for non-consumptive uses like hydropower, but with restrictions. New Delhi wants to accelerate construction of hydroelectric projects there, including the long-stalled 1,000-MW Pakal Dul and 48-MW Lower Kalnai dams.

Sources say India's strategy is twofold: maximise utilisation of its share of water and push for a renegotiated framework. “The old treaty was designed for a different era. It does not account for the reality of cross-border terrorism,” a source added.

Pakistan's 'victim card' doesn't change India's resolve

Pakistan has historically played what Indian officials call a “victim card” on water issues, warning of a looming water crisis if India alters the status quo. But those arguments are no longer finding takers in New Delhi.

“Pakistan's claims of water scarcity are a smokescreen for its failure to manage its own resources,” a source said. India has pointed out that Islamabad has not built a single major storage dam on the western rivers in decades. Meanwhile, India has offered to share data and even technical expertise, but the trust deficit is now too wide.

What happens next

India has not yet invoked the treaty's dispute resolution mechanism or served formal notice of abrogation. But the direction is clear. The government is expected to take a calibrated approach: first, pushing ahead with Chenab projects unilaterally; second, demanding a renegotiation; and third, if that fails, triggering the exit clause.

The ball is now in Pakistan's court. New Delhi has made it clear that the treaty cannot survive unless Islamabad dismantles its terror infrastructure. For now, the Indus Waters Treaty, once hailed as a model of transboundary cooperation, is hanging by a thread.