GUWAHATI: India has not informed the World Bank about its decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan in “abeyance,” sources confirmed. Following the Pahalgam attack, India announced that it would suspend periodic sharing of hydrological data and updates about hydro-electric projects on the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, also known as the Western rivers.
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On April 24, 2025, Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, wrote to her Pakistani counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza, stating that the treaty would be kept in abeyance with "immediate effect." In her letter, Mukherjee cited Pakistan’s sustained cross-border terrorism targeting Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the security uncertainties had directly impeded India’s "full utilisation rights" under the treaty. She also referred to Pakistan’s refusal to respond to India’s earlier calls to renegotiate the treaty as a "breach of trust."
Following a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Paatil told reporters that "not a drop of water would go to Pakistan" and that the government was preparing short, medium, and long-term plans to implement the decision. A government source said that since Pakistan had been informed directly, there was "no need" to inform the World Bank.
Following a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Paatil told reporters that "not a drop of water would go to Pakistan," adding that the government was preparing short, medium, and long-term plans to implement the decision. A government source said that since Pakistan had been informed directly, there was "no need" to notify the World Bank.
In response to queries, a spokesperson for the World Bank stated that the institution does not offer opinions on treaty-related sovereign decisions taken by its member countries. The spokesperson emphasised that the Indus Waters Treaty was a significant and successful agreement between India and Pakistan for over 60 years but clarified that the Bank’s role was limited to a defined set of tasks under the treaty.
India’s suspension of the treaty’s processes implies it will no longer communicate periodically with Pakistan on the sharing of hydrological data or inform it about infrastructural developments on hydro-electric projects on the Western rivers.
Under the terms of the IWT, India is prohibited from creating significant storage on the Western rivers and must maintain prescribed water levels to avoid flooding or harming Pakistan’s agricultural system. India’s major hydro-electric projects, including the Kishenganga and Baglihar projects, are classified as "run-of-the-river," meaning they generate electricity without blocking river flows. Although Pakistan has previously accused India of modifying designs to control river flows, Indian authorities have consistently stated that design changes were aimed at maintaining optimal project conditions.
Experts noted that for India to "weaponise" the Indus waters, it would have to breach the treaty altogether, which has not happened under the current terms. However, following the latest developments, sources indicated that India could now explore options previously not considered. These might include withdrawing from talks on a new dispute resolution mechanism, modifying hydropower project designs to allow greater water storage, and using "draw down flushing" — a method typically used to clear silt from tunnels but which can also control river flows downstream.
Nearly 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture depends on water from the Western rivers, and any significant alteration in river flows could have serious implications for its agricultural sector.
