Indus Water Treaty: The what and why of a decades-old conflict

The treaty contains a preamble, 12 articles and eight detailed annexures

At the time of Independence, the boundary line between Pakistan and India was drawn right across the Indus Basin, leaving Pakistan as the lower riparian and India as the upper riparian state. Two important irrigation works — one at Madhopur on the Ravi river and the other at Ferozepur on the Sutlej — on which the irrigation canal supplies in Punjab (Pakistan) had been completely dependent, fell inside the Indian territory. A dispute thus arose between the two countries regarding the utilisation of irrigation water from the existing facilities. Negotiations under the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)