Following the Union government's decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, India has requested a pause in the proceedings regarding disputes over the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. This request was formally conveyed to Michel Lino, the World Bank's neutral expert overseeing the matter.
The disputes in question concern the Kishanganga project on the Kishanganga River and the Ratle project on the Chenab River. Pakistan has raised concerns about the design of these projects, particularly regarding minimum water flow requirements and the potential for India to control the river flow excessively.
India's decision to seek a pause in the proceedings follows its move to keep the IWT in abeyance "until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism." In its notification to Lino, the Indian government requested that he vacate the mutually agreed "work programme" pertaining to the Kishanganga and Ratle disputes. This programme included Pakistan's written response to India's submission, which was due by August 7, and a fourth meeting of the neutral expert with both sides, scheduled for November 17-22.
Pakistan has objected to India's stance and opposed any suspension of the dispute resolution proceedings. Lino has sought Pakistan's views on India's request. According to government sources, New Delhi is currently disinclined to engage in discussions with Islamabad on the matter, and the treaty will remain in abeyance for the time being.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, mediated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. The treaty gives India control over the waters of the three "Eastern Rivers"—the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej and gives control over the three "Western Rivers"—the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum to Pakistan. India can use the water of Western Rivers for limited irrigation and unlimited non-consumptive uses such as power generation.
The treaty also establishes a Permanent Indus Commission, with a commissioner appointed by each country, to exchange data, review new projects, and resolve disputes. The current disputes over the Kishanganga and Ratle projects have been ongoing for several years. Pakistan has raised concerns that the projects violate the treaty, particularly regarding water diversion and minimum flow requirements. India, on the other hand, maintains that the projects comply with the treaty and are essential for its energy needs.
India has also begun flushing operations to clear sediment at the Baglihar and Salal projects on the Chenab River, actions previously blocked by Pakistan through IWT mechanisms. Furthermore, India is expediting four key hydropower projects on the Chenab – Pakal Dul, Ratle, Kiru, and Kwar and advancing a canal-diversion plan to redirect water from the Indus system into Indian states.
Pakistan has labeled India's suspension of the treaty and river operations as "unilateral and illegal" and is preparing legal challenges through various international bodies. The World Bank, while acknowledging its role as a facilitator in treaty disputes, has stated that it lacks the authority to intervene in the treaty's suspension.
