Pakistan failed to modernise its irrigation system, protect Indus delta: Report
Islamabad, June 8
The suspension of Indus Water Treaty is not the original cause of Pakistan's water crisis. In reality, rivers in Pakistan are running short due to Pakistani authorities' failure to store the water it already controls, failure to modernise its irrigation system, protect the Indus delta and to distribute scarcity fairly among its provinces, a report has stated.
Following the heinous terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April 2025, India had exercised its rights as a sovereign nation under international law and placed Indus Water Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan stops its support for cross-border terrorism.
The Hague-based Clingendael Institute termed India's decision a "pause of cooperation, not an end" and stated that the suspension came after Pahalgam attack and was framed by New Delhi in national-security terms, an opinion piece in Afghanistan's Khaama Press highlighted. The move, analysts reckon, is more a strategic message than an instant cutoff.
Pakistan's leadership has nevertheless blamed India for its water shortage problems. Pakistan's narrative is politically useful as it helps to gain support of people and allows the authorities to avoid questions about mismanagement, weak storage, provincial mistrust, canal losses, groundwater depletion, floodplain neglect and poor crop planning.
"The suspension of the treaty may be a serious diplomatic escalation, but it is not the original cause of Pakistan's water crisis. Pakistan's rivers are not running short only because of an upstream neighbour. They are running short because the Pakistani state has spent decades failing to store the water it already controls, failing to modernise its irrigation system, failing to protect the Indus delta, and failing to distribute scarcity fairly among its own provinces. India's move has given Islamabad a powerful external alibi. The deeper crisis, however, remains domestic," Khaama Press opinion piece mentioned.
Despite receiving large seasonal river flows, Pakistan's storage capacity remains low. Policy discussions in Pakistan have repeatedly stated that the country can store water for only about 30 days, far below the 120-day benchmark cited in national planning debates. For years, Pakistan has spoken about developing new dams, however, successive governments have not been able to build the provincial consensus needed to go ahead with the plan.
Apart from facing water shortage, Pakistan irrigation system remains inadequate, politically protected and slow to reform. Flood irrigation, leaky canals, weak pricing, poor crop choices and groundwater overuse have caused a permanent national condition in Pakistan.
"Per capita water availability tells the same story. According to water-sector estimates cited by Dawn and other Pakistani outlets, Pakistan's annual per capita water availability has fallen from more than 5,000 cubic metres in the early years after independence to below 1,000 cubic metres today, a level widely associated with water scarcity. This collapse has been driven by population growth, inefficient use and poor governance. India did not create that long decline. Pakistani policymakers allowed it," the Khaama Press article emphasised.
The distribution of water in Pakistan is also politically contested. Under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, the Indus River System Authority is supposed to regulate water distribution among provinces of Pakistan. However, in reality, the accord created a national framework. The lower riparian provinces, particularly Sindh, have said that shortages are not shared fairly and that Punjab, the upstream province, remains protected.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Exactly! The Indus delta is dying because Pakistan has stopped water from reaching the sea. They use it all for irrigation but with outdated methods. Meanwhile they blame India for everything. The report is spot on - their storage capacity is only 30 days while we have multi-year storage. Time for them to face reality.
I remember reading that Pakistan's per capita water availability has fallen from 5000 cubic meters to below 1000 since independence. That's a 80% drop caused by population growth and poor governance. India has nothing to do with that. The Clingendael report is fair and balanced. Pakistan should focus on fixing its own system.
It's high time international bodies started telling the truth. Pakistan's politicians use the 'India bogey' to avoid answering tough questions about their own governance failures. They can't even build consensus for new dams among their own provinces, and then complain about water shortage. We need to support such factual reporting.
Sad to see the Indus delta suffering. Pakistan could have learned from India's success in managing river basins. Instead they keep blaming us. The report mentions their canal losses are huge due to leaky systems. We have modernised our irrigation networks in Punjab and Haryana. They should do the same.
Let me add another perspective - even if the treaty was suspended, India has not stopped the flow of water to Pakistan. The report correctly says it's a symbolic pause. But Pakistan uses it as an excuse for its own failures. The real problem is their political economy of water distribution between provinces. Sindh and Punjab can
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.