THE Indus Waters Treaty as a bilateral trans-boundary water-sharing arrangement is not without its problems. It does not define the use of groundwater by either India or Pakistan. It does not tackle the effects of climate change on water availability in the Indus basin and it ignores water pollution. All these issues affect the lower riparian, Pakistan, and its farmers. Excessive pumping of groundwater, for example, on the Indian side of Punjab can push the water table down on the Pakistani side. Additionally, India’s planned construction of scores of large and small hydropower projects on what are Pakistan’s rivers in the Indus basin and its inability to share timely technical data and information with Islamabad have spawned concerns, lately voiced by water and power minister Khwaja Asif. Despite the IWT’s resilience over the years, a more progressive interpretation of the treaty should now be considered.

However, while Pakistan must not lessen its focus on the international aspect of the problem, and register its protest where it feels that water-sharing is not judicious, it must not lose sight of the disputes between rival claimants of water within the country. This is exemplified by the war of words between Sindh and Punjab, with the lower riparian accusing Punjab of siphoning off its water share, and filling its reservoirs at the cost of Sindh’s crops. Although a partial solution can be found through restructuring the 1991 water-sharing accord, the revival of the telemetry system is important to document the flow and use of water. De-silting and lining the canals, eliminating corruption in government departments and building more reservoirs are other measures — unfortunately ignored. At the end of the day, rectifying the internal water situation will impart greater legitimacy to Pakistan’s demand for equitable water-sharing at the international level.