Context: In a significant recommendation, a parliamentary panel urged the government to renegotiate the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, noting that pressing issues such as climate change, global warming and environmental impact assessment are missing from the pact that divides the Indus Basin waters.

Issues Highlighted by the report 

Change in rainfall patterns

• There is a change in rainfall patterns. There are instances of more high-intensity rainfall as well as long stretches where there is low rainfall.

Glacial melt

• The second major change is glacial melt. The contribution of glaciers in the Indus basin is higher than in the Ganges or Brahmaputra basins. 
• Because there is a fragile Himalayan region involved, there is a greater frequency of landslides and flash floods.

Maintenance of Canals 

• India was able to make full use of the ‘Eastern Rivers’ through a series of dams such as Ranjit Sagar on the Ravi in Pathankot, Pong on the Beas and Bhakra Nangal on the Satluj.
• However, it was observed that canals in Punjab and Rajasthan such as the Rajasthan Feeder and the Sirhind Feeder had become old and were not maintained properly.
• This had resulted in the lowering of their water carrying capacity.
• Thus, the water from the Harike Barrage on the confluence of the Beas and Satluj in Punjab was usually released downstream into Pakistan.

On China's development Front

• Committee expressed apprehension that though ‘run of the river’ projects undertaken by China per se may not lead to diversion of waters, but there is every possibility that water can be stored in pondages and released for running the turbines.
• This may lead to certain diurnal variation in downstream flow and as a consequence have an impact on water flows in Brahmaputra river and thus affect India’s endeavours to tap the region’s water resources.

Recommendations of the Report 

• The Government of India should renegotiate the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan in the light of present-day challenges such as climate change, global warming and environmental impact assessment .
• There is a need to establish some kind of institutional structure or legislative framework to address the impact of climate change on water availability in the Indus basin and other challenges which are not covered under the Treaty.
• The committee urged the Centre to expedite new projects like the one on the Ujh, a tributary of the Ravi, as well as the Shahpurkandi on the Ravi itself to exploit the full potential of the rivers for irrigation and other purposes.
• It also recommended that the canal systems in Punjab and Rajasthan be repaired to increase their water carrying capacity.

Indus Water Treaty(IWT)

• It was signed between then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan on 19th September 1960.
• The Treaty was brokered by the World Bank and is one of the most durable agreements between both nations and has survived several wars and disruptions in bilateral relations over the decades.
• It sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers.

According to provisions of the Treaty,

• The water of the eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi) is allocated to India for unrestricted use.
• The water of western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) is allocated largely to Pakistan.

Under the treaty, India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river projects on the western rivers subject to specific criteria for design and operation. 

• It is allowed to use 20% water of the western rivers for irrigation, power generation and transport purposes.
• It also gives Pakistan the right to raise concerns on the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on western rivers.

The  Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was set up under the Treaty with the following functions:

• Study and report on any problem relating to the development of river waters.
• Solve water sharing disputes.
• Arrange technical visits to project sites.
• Undertake a general tour of inspection of the Rivers for ascertaining the facts, once in every five years.

Key Concerns 

• Internationally, the Treaty is seen as one of the most successful cases of conflict resolution but between the two countries, it has seeded dissatisfaction and conflicts regarding its interpretation and implementation.
• The treaty is highly technical leading to far-ranging divergences between the two countries in terms of interpretations.
• For example, the treaty says that storage systems can be built but to a limited extent. However, the technical details make it difficult to conclude under what circumstances projects can be carried out.
• Another concern is the tense political relations between the two countries.
• From the Indian point of view, the basic dissatisfaction is that the treaty prevents it from building any storage systems on the western rivers, even though it allows building storage systems under certain exceptional circumstances.
• Pakistan, due to its suspicions, stays aware of every technical aspect of the project and deliberately tries to get it suspended.
• The matter is further aggravated by the fact that the western rivers lie in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, a subject of a tussle between both since independence.

Road Ahead

• The Indus Waters Treaty is considered one of the most successful water-sharing endeavours in the world today. However, there is a need to update certain technical specifications and expand the scope of the agreement to address climate change.