India Rejects ‘Illegal’ Arbitration Court, Plans Water Diversion Under Indus Waters Treaty

The Indian government has taken a firm stance, rejecting the authority of the Court of Arbitration under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, calling it illegal. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India does not recognize the validity of this court. The MEA highlighted the issuance of a ‘supplemental award’ by the court, related to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. India’s position is that the court’s constitution itself breaches the Indus Waters Treaty, making its proceedings and decisions illegal. India has therefore rejected this ‘supplemental award’ as well as all previous decisions. Furthermore, the Indian government intends to divert water, previously designated for Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty, for utilization in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. The Jal Shakti Ministry is aggressively developing infrastructure to facilitate this diversion, aiming to meet the water demands of these states. This move is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of prioritizing India’s water resources for the nation’s benefit.