India Foundation, in collaboration with the India Habitat Centre, organised a book discussion on the book ‘Trial by Water: Indus Basin and India-Pakistan Relations’, by Shri Uttam Kumar Sinha, Author and Scholar, on Monday, September 22, 2025, at India Habitat Centre. Dr. DV Thareja, Former Indus Water Commissioner and Former Member (D&R), CWC; Dr. Tara Kartha, Director (R&A), CLAWS; and Amb. Sharath Sabharwal, Former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, discussed the book with the author. The session was moderated by Capt. Alok Bansal, Executive Vice President, India Foundation.
Shri Uttam Kumar Sinha clarified that the treaty was not solely about water sharing but involved a complex division of river systems, with an 80/20 water allocation split, often perceived as unfair by both nations. He addressed misconceptions about the treaty, emphasizing Nehru’s intent to foster peace, contrasted by opposing motivations from other stakeholders. Shri Sinha noted the pivotal role of engineers, like Gopi Chandra Bhagawan, who resisted concessions to Pakistan, and the influence of U.S. soft power through funding and engineering expertise under “Water for Development.” He stressed the importance of precise wording, advocating for terms like “water development for Kashmiris” over “stoppage,” and clarified that the book focuses on India’s perspective, with one chapter addressing Pakistan’s propaganda.
The panelists provided diverse insights. Dr. DV Thareja described the book as personally resonant, aligning with his experiences overseeing related projects, and highlighted global dam-building trends, particularly China’s 6,000 dams. Dr. Tara Kartha refuted Pakistan’s claims of water shortages, citing IRSA data, and discussed recent floods causing significant damage in Punjab and the depletion of glaciers, noting Pakistan’s upper riparian advantage on the Kabul River. Amb. Sharath Sabharwal praised the book’s accessibility and research, emphasizing the treaty’s lack of resilience, its controversial nature, and the need to understand the Indus Basin’s history to address future challenges, amid emotive public debates and mistrust in India-Pakistan relations. The discussion underscored the intricate interplay of water, geopolitics, and diplomacy in the Indus Basin. The event highlighted the treaty’s engineering-driven origins, its ongoing challenges, and the emotional complexities encapsulated in the sentiment that “blood and water cannot flow together.”
