ISLAMABAD: India’s repeated violations of the Indus Waters Treaty have escalated, with recent reports indicating that New Delhi has stopped sharing key data regarding river flows with Pakistan.
According to media, information obtained at official and diplomatic levels shows that India’s actions are creating serious challenges for Pakistan’s water management, flood forecasting, and preventive measures.
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Under the Indus Waters Treaty, India is obligated to provide Pakistan with complete and accurate information about river flows, water quantities, glacier melt, and current rainfall conditions. However, recent reports indicate that in recent months India has limited its updates to general terms such as “high” or “low” flow, without providing precise data—constituting a clear breach of the treaty.
Officials in Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources noted that India is now sending verbal updates directly to the Foreign Office rather than through the formal channel of the Indus Water Commissioner. Authorities described this as a direct violation of the treaty, which mandates that all official communication occur through the designated water commissioners.
The Foreign Office reported that after heightened tensions between Pakistan and India in May, India contacted Pakistan 18 times during August and September. However, information received between August 24 and September 10 was incomplete, lacking accurate flow measurements and technical details.
Due to the absence of reliable data, Pakistan has had to rely on satellite imagery, which experts say can have discrepancies of up to 25 percent. Officials from the Ministry of Water Resources warn that such inaccuracies increase flood risks and delay timely preventive actions.
Pakistani authorities have described India’s approach as “water aggression,” severely affecting Pakistan’s ability to plan and manage river flows in advance. Officials emphasized that India’s failure to fulfill its treaty obligations heightens the risk of water disputes in the region.
Pakistan has called on the international community to take notice of India’s violations and ensure that the historic water-sharing agreement is not undermined by unilateral actions. The country has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty through all available diplomatic and legal means.
