ISLAMABAD: India has officially informed Pakistan of a possible major flood risk, making contact under the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty.
According to reports, India informed Pakistan regarding the possibility of flooding in the Tawi River near Jammu. Official sources confirmed that India reached out to Pakistan on the morning of August 24 at 10:00 AM, warning of a possible flood situation and sharing early information as the Indus Waters Treaty commitments.
It is worth mentioning that this is the first significant contact between the two neighboring countries since the armed clash in May this year. The communication came despite India’s earlier announcement of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and ordering Pakistani citizens in India to leave within 48 hours back in April. India had also declared the closure of the Attari-Wagah border and restrictions on travel under the SAARC visa exemption.
The Pakistani Foreign Office has yet to issue an official response regarding this latest development.
What is Indus Waters Treaty?
The nuclear-armed neighbours disagree over the use of the water from rivers that flow downstream from India into the Indus River basin in Pakistan.
The use of the water is governed by the IWT, which was mediated by the World Bank and signed by the neighbours in September 1960.
The agreement split the Indus and its tributaries between the two countries and regulated water sharing. India was granted the use of water from three eastern rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi while Pakistan was granted most of the three western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
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There is no provision in the treaty for either country to unilaterally suspend or terminate the pact, which has clear dispute resolution systems.
