India has put a brake on the Indus Treaty for the first time, this is the reason behind Pakistan's frustration and its economy is sinking.

Indus Water Treaty: The kind of tough action taken by India after Pakistan's daring step in Pahalgam, Kashmir has taken the wind out of the sails of the neighboring country and forced it to come on its knees. India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan. This treaty is an important water-sharing agreement in force since 1960. Even during the three wars fought between India and Pakistan, this treaty was not put on brakes. In such a situation, this step of the Indian government has forced the neighbouring country to think and it is getting restless.

A day after the attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced this tough decision on Wednesday. The Indian government has said that this Indus Water Treaty suspension will continue until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism. The decision against Pakistan has been taken by India's top security body CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) after a preliminary investigation. The investigation found connections of the attackers to groups located across the border.

What is the Indus Water Treaty?

This is the first time that India has officially suspended the Indus Water Treaty despite many years of political tension and conflict between the two countries. In such a situation, the question arises that what is this Indus Water Agreement? Actually, the Indus Water Treaty was signed in the year 1960 after years of negotiations between India and Pakistan and the World Bank acted as a mediator in it.

This treaty divides the six rivers of the Indus basin between the two countries - the eastern rivers: Ravi, Beas and Sutlej were given to India while the western rivers: Indus, Jhelum and Chenab were given to Pakistan. India is allowed to use the western rivers for non-consumptive purposes such as irrigation and hydropower, but it is not allowed to store or divert large quantities of water from them.

Under the agreement, India gets about 20 per cent of the total water in the system - about 33 million acre-feet (MAF), or 41 billion cubic metres (bcm), while Pakistan gets about 80%, which is about 135 MAF or 99 bcm.

What will be the impact on Pakistan?

Neighbouring Pakistan is already facing a water crisis. The country has very little water storage, with the two main dams - Mangla and Tarbela - having the capacity to store only about 14.4 MAF. This is just 10 per cent of Pakistan's annual water share under the treaty. The Indus Water Treaty plays a vital role in Pakistan's economy. About 80% of its agricultural land, or 16 million hectares, is irrigated by the Indus system. 93% of the water from these rivers is used for farming, including wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton. It contributes about 25% to Pakistan's GDP, mainly through agriculture.

In such a situation, Pakistan is already one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. The average amount of water available per person there is decreasing rapidly. In such a situation, any sudden or major cut in the flow of water will worsen the situation. Experts believe that a break on the Indus Water Treaty can have serious consequences.

This can lead to a sharp decline in food production in Pakistan, affecting prices and availability. Power cuts may increase, especially in rural areas. There may be a shortage of drinking water in cities, which will increase pressure on urban systems. In addition, unemployment may increase, especially among farmers and daily wage workers. Migration from rural areas to cities may increase, which will lead to congestion and more pressure on resources.