Tensions between India and Pakistan have flared again over water sharing, with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of reigniting their “water war” by altering Chenab River flows in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). According to Pakistani officials, fluctuations in river levels raise serious concerns over compliance with decades-old agreements that regulate shared rivers between both countries.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates control of India over several eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) while giving Pakistan rights over several western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) with limited Indian use for non-consumptive uses such as hydropower generation. It has become one of the world’s most durable water-sharing agreements due to enduring wars and political hostilities between them.
Pakistan alleges that India has deliberately altered Chenab flows by operating upstream hydropower projects in such a way as to alter downstream water availability, according to officials. Sudden releases or reductions have disrupted irrigation schedules and raised flood management risks during sensitive agricultural periods; Islamabad holds this practice is contrary to both spirit and technical provisions of treaties signed between both countries.
Pakistani authorities have cast this issue within a broader water-related pressure pattern, warning of how unilateral measures threaten regional stability. Officials have called for transparency in reservoir operations and timely sharing of hydrological data as mandated under IWT; predictability in river flows is seen as critical to food security given their heavy reliance on agriculture in Pakistan.
India, on its part, has long maintained that its hydropower projects on western rivers were run-of-river projects that are fully compliant with treaty provisions and not subject to political influences. New Delhi asserted that operational changes were driven by power generation needs and safety considerations rather than political objectives; Indian officials pointed out established dispute-resolution mechanisms under IWT such as technical discussions and neutral expert reviews as resolving potential disputes between parties involved.
The latest allegations come amid tenuous bilateral relations and limited diplomatic engagement. Water has increasingly become a flashpoint, particularly as climate change amplifies river flow variability throughout the Himalayan region. Experts note how melting glaciers, irregular monsoons and extreme weather events add strain to already complex water-sharing agreements.
Analysts warn that politicizing water disputes could undermine one of the few remaining avenues for cooperation between India and Pakistan. While the International Waters Treaty (IWT) offers channels for dialogue such as Permanent Indus Commission, success depends upon sustained engagement and trust among both sides; unfortunately these have both been scarce since recent years.
Pakistan has indicated it may take action at international forums if bilateral mechanisms do not adequately address its concerns. Pakistani officials insist adherence to the treaty is not just bilaterally binding but a matter of international law given the World Bank’s role as a guaranteeing body; as a result, they have called for renewed talks to ensure compliance and prevent any potential escalation of tensions.
As water resource shortages intensify across South Asia, the dispute over Chenab highlights the necessity of cooperation rather than confrontation. Whether or not this current standoff leads to constructive dialogue will likely determine future water security between two nuclear-armed neighbors and ultimately determine their relationship going forward.