Was Indus Water Treaty necessary?

India insisted on full control of the three eastern rivers but Pakistan stood up for its due share in these rivers. The World Bank feared that sharing of rivers between India and Pakistan would lead to unending disputes between the two countries and proposed division of the rivers, with the three eastern rivers going to India and dams to be built on the western rivers to create surpluses for providing replacement water to the canals in north and south Punjab which would be deprived of the waters of Ravi and Sutlej rivers.

Once the Treaty was signed, Mangla and Tarbela dams were built on Jhelum and Indus rivers thereby increasing river supplies from 83 maf (pre-Mangla) to 104 maf (post-Tarbela). A number of barrages were built to direct the replacement water to the vast network of canals in north and south Punjab.

ENGR KHURSHID ANWER

Lahore