The Indus Waters Treaty: Engineering Diplomacy in a Political World

The Indus Waters Treaty is primarily an engineering, not a political document, according to TCA Raghavan, a former high commissioner to Pakistan. At a discussion on a new book by Uttam Kumar Sinha, Raghavan highlighted misunderstandings about water allocations between India and Pakistan, emphasizing technical rather than political factors.

The Indus Waters Treaty, an agreement between India and Pakistan, is fundamentally an engineering document, not a political one, according to TCA Raghavan, a former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan. During a book discussion, Raghavan cautioned against applying simplistic logic to this complex treaty.

At the event for Uttam Kumar Sinha's book, 'Trial by Water: Indus Basin and India-Pakistan Relations,' Raghavan debunked claims that India hands over most of its water to Pakistan. He stressed that geographical and gravitational factors drive water distribution under the treaty, not arbitrary decisions.

Raghavan emphasized the importance of eastern rivers to India's development needs and argued the treaty's technical nature has been misunderstood. While co-panelist Arvind Gupta criticized the treaty as 'unfair,' Sinha supported Raghavan, highlighting anti-Pakistan biases influencing public perception.

(With inputs from agencies.)