India, April 25 -- The Indus Water Treaty signed in 1960 envisages the allocation of river waters of the three eastern rivers - Ravi, Beas and Sutlej - to India and those of western rivers -Indus, Chenab and Jhelum - to Pakistan. India was allowed the limited usage from these rivers also for agriculture, irrigation, hydroelectric power generation. It allows India to irrigate 1.3 million acres of land and further permits India to store 3.60 MAF ( million acre feet) of water for flood moderation, conservation and hydropower generation.

The treaty is an exceptional case in which India, an upper riparian state, have voluntarily agreed to surrender more than four times the amount of water to Pakistan, a lower riparian state, and imposed strin...