IWT violations by India threaten livelihood of millions of agriculture laborers

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2026) India’s continued violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) are emerging as a serious threat not only to South Punjab’s agriculture but also to the livelihoods of millions of farm labourers particularly women, whose economic survival is closely tied to seasonal agricultural work.

Regarded as Pakistan’s food basket, South Punjab produces a remarkable share of the country’s cotton, wheat, sugarcane, and vegetables.

The region’s fertile lands and canal-based irrigation system sustain millions of people.

However,any disruption in water availability especially due to India's interference can have devastating consequences for the entire agricultural chain.

At the center of this system were agricultural laborers, a large proportion of whom are women.

These women are not only workers but they also possess years of experience and expertise in delicate and labor-intensive farm activities.

From cotton picking to vegetable harvesting,fodder cutting to crop maintenance, their role is both specialized and indispensable.

Experts warn that if water disruption persist due to violations of the Indus Waters Treaty,crop production will decline sharply.

This,in turn, will directly reduce the demand for farm labor,rendering million of workers unemployed.

Farmer Ameer Hamza emphasized the gravity of the situation. “Water shortages mean fewer crops, and fewer crops mean no work for laborers.

Women, who were highly skilled in tasks like cotton picking, will be the first to lose their livelihoods,” he said. Muhammad Ashnaaq Wattoo highlighted that women laborers were the backbone of agricultural productivity. “These women are trained through years of experience.

If farmland activities slow down due to lack of water, their skills will go unused, and they will have no alternative employment,”he maintained.

Khalid Chaudhry pointed out that the informal nature of women’s work makes them even more vulnerable.

“Most female labourers are paid on a daily or seasonal basis. If there is no sowing or harvesting, they simply have no income.

This directly affects their families’ survival,” he said. The economic impact is far-reaching. For many rural households, women’s earnings are a crucial component of daily sustenance. Their income contributes to food, education, and healthcare expenses also. If these women are pushed out of agricultural work due to declining water availability, entire families could face financial collapse. Irshad Bibi, a farm worker, shared her concerns. “We are skilled in farm work only. This is what we know. If there is no water and no crops, there will be no work for us. Our children will suffer the most because we depend on this income,” she said. They all also cautioned that such a scenario could lead to widespread unemployment among rural women, increased poverty levels, and social instability. With limited alternative job opportunities in villages, many affected families would be forced to migrate to urban areas in search of work, adding pressure to already strained city resources. The situation underscores the urgent need for effective implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty and proactive measures to safeguard Pakistan’s water rights. Without timely intervention, the consequences will extend beyond agriculture, deeply impacting the socio-economic fabric of South Punjab.

As the water crisis looms, it is clear that the first and hardest hit will be those who are least visible yet most essential, the women laborers whose skilled hands sustain the fields, and whose livelihoods now hang in the balance.

They demanded of international community to take notice of the situation at the earliest.