Five ways that the suspended Indus Waters Treaty benefits India and what it means for Pakistan's faltering economy

A day after at least 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terror assault, India terminated the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will remain in "abeyance" until Pakistan permanently halts its support for cross-border terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Wednesday. The World Bank negotiated the Indus Waters Treaty, which divided the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan and governed water sharing. Up until now, it had survived neighborly battles.

The Treaty gives India control over the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) and Pakistan control over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab). According to the Treaty, each nation is permitted to use the rivers that are allotted to it in specific ways. Both India and Pakistan depend on its waterways. Since the pact has been suspended, India can now construct projects on the banks of the rivers in spite of Pakistan's protests, according to Defence & Strategic Affairs Analyst Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd).

 The Indus Waters Treaty restricts the design of dams and other constructions on the Indus and its tributaries.

Although Pakistan has previously objected to the designs, India will not be required to take their concerns into account going forward.

Pakistan has previously opposed nearly every initiative. Salal, Baglihar, Uri, Chutak, Nimoo Bazgo, Kishenganga, Pakal Dul, Miyar, Lower Kalnai, and Ratle are notable hydropower projects.

The new developments might no longer be subject to the objections. To Mint, Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd) stated, "The only immediate impact is that India will stop sharing water-flow data with Pakistan."

Pakistan may suffer if flood data on the rivers is not shared, particularly when rivers swell during the monsoon.

"Data with respect to the flow in, and utilisation of the waters of, the Rivers shall be exchanged regularly between the Parties," according to the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

These data include: daily releases or extractions from reservoirs; daily withdrawals at the heads of all canals; daily escapages from all canals, including link canals; daily gauge and discharge data pertaining to river flow at all observation locations; and daily deliveries from link canals.