Highlights
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The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan, with the World Bank facilitating the talks and also becoming a signatory to the agreement.
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Under the treaty, the Western Rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — were allocated to Pakistan, while the Eastern Rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — were assigned to India.
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However, the treaty allows limited usage rights to both countries over each other’s allocated rivers for specific purposes such as irrigation, hydropower, and transport.
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As per the treaty, India receives about 20% of the total water from the Indus River System, while Pakistan gets the remaining 80%.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Thursday that the government is preparing short-, medium-, and long-term plans to use water that was earlier released to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty. This water will now be used to provide irrigation for Indian farmers, especially those in border states.
Speaking at the annual Kharif campaign meeting, attended by several state agriculture ministers, Chouhan called the decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 a “historic move” in the nation’s interest. He described the original treaty as a “historic mistake” made by the government at that time, which allowed Pakistan to use the majority of the water from Indian rivers like the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum.
According to Chouhan, it was unfortunate that 80% of the water from these rivers went to Pakistan because of the treaty. The government suspended the decades-old treaty after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, most of whom were tourists.
He said the suspension of the treaty would benefit Indian farmers, particularly in the border states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. These regions will now receive more water for irrigation. Also Read | Farmers to Benefit from FRP Hike to ₹355/Quintal for 2025 Season
Chouhan added, “If we are talking about our top priorities, then we have already started working on how to stop the water that flows into Pakistan. I’m referring to the water currently going to Pakistan, not talking about breaking the Indus Treaty.”
Former Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had also stated in July 2021 that India had begun efforts to control the flow of surplus water to Pakistan.
Chouhan also praised the Indian Army for successfully carrying out “Operation Sindoor” and said that the government is committed to completely eliminating terrorism.
Disclaimer: This article is aggregated by a computer program system. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the agrinews.in
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