“NOT A SINGLE DROP”
India’s Water Minister C.R. Patil said this year that the government would ensure that “not a single drop of water” will flow into Pakistan, which accused India of seeking to “weaponise” the precious resource.
Pakistan has previously said it would consider any attempt to change the flow of cross-border waterways as an “act of war”.
The court said in a statement that it had unanimously found that “none of the grounds” put forward by India to suspend the treaty were justified.
It said India’s construction of hydroelectric projects on the Indus and associated rivers had to conform to the 1960 treaty.
“In a unanimous decision, the court found that none of these grounds could justify suspension or termination of the treaty,” a statement released by the panel said.
“Accordingly, the Indus Waters Treaty remains fully in force, and India must observe its obligations under the treaty, including those relating to the design and operation of its hydro-electric projects on the Western Rivers,” it added.
Water risks becoming a flashpoint in a region grappling with climate change and population growth, which are stretching resources in the agricultural sectors that form the backbone of both countries’ economies, experts say.
The water treaty provided a rare avenue of diplomatic engagement between the rival sides until India suspended its involvement.
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