By Bharat Global Time | June 1, 2025
In yet another heated diplomatic exchange, India took a sharp jab at Pakistan during a United Nations session, telling its neighbor to “stop blaming others” and focus on managing its own water crisis. The clash came after Pakistan raised concerns over the Indus Waters Treaty, alleging that India was withholding water and violating the decades-old agreement.
But India wasn’t having any of it.
India’s Sharp Response at the UN
Speaking at a UN event on transboundary water cooperation, India made it crystal clear: “Pakistan’s water woes are self-inflicted.”
Indian representatives stated that while the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has withstood wars and political tensions for over six decades, Islamabad has repeatedly politicized the agreement rather than working constructively.
“Instead of addressing its own massive water mismanagement, Pakistan finds it easier to point fingers at India,” the Indian envoy said, firmly rejecting the allegations.
India also reminded the global community that it has not violated a single clause of the IWT, despite persistent provocations and even cross-border tensions.
Quick Recap: What Is the Indus Waters Treaty?
Signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty is a World Bank-brokered agreement that divides the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. While Pakistan controls the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), India retains rights over the eastern ones (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej).
Despite wars, terror attacks, and border clashes, India has honored the treaty—often praised as one of the world’s most successful examples of water diplomacy.
Water Crisis in Pakistan: A Looming Disaster
While Pakistan blames India, the real crisis is within its own borders.
According to the UNDP and Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Pakistan could face absolute water scarcity by 2025—yes, this year. Major factors include:
- Poor irrigation practices
- Wastage of freshwater through outdated canal systems
- Rampant groundwater exploitation
- Climate change and glacier melt in the north
Lahore, Karachi, and parts of Balochistan are already seeing dangerously low water availability, with residents relying on tankers and unsafe sources for daily needs.
“We’re drying up, and our leaders are stuck in blame games,” said a resident from Sindh in a local news interview.
The Bigger Picture: Water as a Weapon or Wake-up Call?
In today’s climate-sensitive world, water is no longer just a resource—it’s a geopolitical weapon, a climate challenge, and a humanitarian issue all rolled into one.
While India continues to invest in river-linking projects, dams, and modern irrigation tech, Pakistan is struggling with governance paralysis and public mistrust.
India’s message at the UN was clear: Stop the rhetoric. Fix your system. And don’t use the Indus Treaty as a political tool.
Final Word
At a time when climate change is threatening the very basics of life—like drinking water and crop irrigation—nations must cooperate, not compete. The Indus Waters Treaty was never meant to be a battlefield. Yet, if diplomacy drowns in accusations, millions could pay the price with thirst.
For now, India has made its stand clear at the UN: It will not accept misplaced blame while honoring its end of the deal.
