In 1947, when Pakistan was created, the province of Punjab was divided. Part of it was given to India and part to Pakistan. The headworks at Madhopur on the Ravi and at Firozpur on the Sutlej were in India, but many of the canals that branched off from them were irrigating agricultural lands of the newly founded Pakistan.
A number of committees were constituted to deal with the problems that resulted from the division of Punjab. The question of water sharing between East Punjab India and West Punjab Pakistan was referred to Committee B. The unanimous agreement of the members of the committee is given in paragraph 15 of the Report, which states The committee is agreed that there is no question of varying authorized share of water to which the two zones and canals are authorized. This agreement was also affirmed by the Punjab partition Committee, which was headed by the governor of the province. As a result, this problem was not referred to the arbitral tribunal appointed to settle the disputes between India and Pakistan arising out of the partition.
The life of the tribunal ended on 31 March 1948. The following day, India stopped the flow of water into Pakistani canals. This was a serious matter. Pakistan took the issue up with India, and an interim agreement was arrived at on 4 May 1948. For a permanent solution to the problem, negotiations started in 1952 under the auspices of the World Bank.
In September 1960, an agreement was signed which came to be known as the Indus Water Treaty. Under this treaty, Pakistan received exclusive rights over the three western rivers, th Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, and India those of the three eastern rivers, the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. There was to be a transitional period ending on 31 March 1970, which was extendable by three more years. During this transitional period, India agreed to continue supplying water to Pakistan. During the same period, it was expected that Pakistan would construct two storage dams, five barrages, one gated syphon and eight link canals to divert some of the water of the western rivers into the interfluves of the eastern rivers. The construction cost was to be met with the help of aid from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A part of the cost was also to be paid by India. The remaining expenditure was to be met by Pakistan. The replacement works were entrusted to WAPDA.
A number of committees were constituted to deal with the problems that resulted from the division of Punjab. The question of water sharing between East Punjab India and West Punjab Pakistan was referred to Committee B. The unanimous agreement of the members of the committee is given in paragraph 15 of the Report, which states The committee is agreed that there is no question of varying authorized share of water to which the two zones and canals are authorized. This agreement was also affirmed by the Punjab partition Committee, which was headed by the governor of the province. As a result, this problem was not referred to the arbitral tribunal appointed to settle the disputes between India and Pakistan arising out of the partition.
The life of the tribunal ended on 31 March 1948. The following day, India stopped the flow of water into Pakistani canals. This was a serious matter. Pakistan took the issue up with India, and an interim agreement was arrived at on 4 May 1948. For a permanent solution to the problem, negotiations started in 1952 under the auspices of the World Bank.
In September 1960, an agreement was signed which came to be known as the Indus Water Treaty. Under this treaty, Pakistan received exclusive rights over the three western rivers, th Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, and India those of the three eastern rivers, the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. There was to be a transitional period ending on 31 March 1970, which was extendable by three more years. During this transitional period, India agreed to continue supplying water to Pakistan. During the same period, it was expected that Pakistan would construct two storage dams, five barrages, one gated syphon and eight link canals to divert some of the water of the western rivers into the interfluves of the eastern rivers. The construction cost was to be met with the help of aid from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A part of the cost was also to be paid by India. The remaining expenditure was to be met by Pakistan. The replacement works were entrusted to WAPDA.
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