Will World Bank intervene in Indus Water Treaty row? President issues clarification amid speculation

Amid speculation surrounding the Indus Water Treaty, World Bank President Ajay Banga clarified that the institution has no role beyond that of a facilitator.

“There’s a lot of speculation in the media about how the World Bank will step in & fix the problem, but it’s all bunk,” Banga said, addressing the ongoing discourse around the treaty. “The World Bank’s role is merely as a facilitator,” he added.

His remarks come amid renewed attention on the treaty following its partial suspension and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan over Pahalgam attack.

India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism .

The Treaty allocates the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and the Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India. At the same time, the Treaty allows each country certain uses of the rivers allocated to the other. The treaty gives India 20 per cent of the water from the Indus River System and the rest 80 per cent to Pakistan.