How easy is it to stop water flowing to Pakistan by revoking the Indus Water Treaty ?

New Delhi – In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India has taken 4 major steps to hold Pakistan accountable, with the most significant being the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. India has asserted that, “As long as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorism, India will not uphold this treaty.”

But the critical question arises: Can the Indus Water Treaty be revoked so easily? And more importantly, can India stop the flow of water from the 3 rivers overnight ? The answer is complex and requires a deeper understanding of the situation.

Water of 3 major rivers cannot be stopped overnight !

The Indus Water Treaty, signed in 1960, allocates the waters of 6 rivers between India and Pakistan. As per the agreement, India controls the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab).

Revoking the treaty might symbolically signal a strong stand, but India currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to effectively halt or redirect the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers. Constructing new storage or diversion mechanisms would take time and massive investment. Moreover, any abrupt move to block the flow without proper planning could cause severe flooding in India’s own territories, particularly Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

How long would It take to stop the water?

India has initiated four hydro projects on these rivers:

Baglihar Dam (Chenab) – Operational
Kishanganga Project (Neelam, a tributary of Jhelum) – Operational
Ratle Project (Chenab) – Under development
Pakal Dul Project (Marusudar, a tributary of Chenab) – Under development
Only 2 of these are currently functional. The rest require years to complete. Therefore, while the intent to suspend water flow may be declared, the actual execution would take significant time. Pakistani analysts acknowledge this, suggesting they have enough time to mount a legal challenge against India’s move in international forums.

Potential Impact on Pakistan: Farmlands to dry-up!

Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces rely heavily—over 90%—on the water received through the Indus Water Treaty for agriculture. If India eventually succeeds in curbing or diverting this flow, Pakistan could face a devastating agricultural collapse, impacting:

Irrigation of farmland
Drinking water supply
Hydroelectric generation

This move would likely trigger an economic crisis in Pakistan, with widespread implications for its agriculture and industry.