A week after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan in a stern response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, the government has initiated aggressive water management measures, including reservoir flushing and the revival of key hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir. The move is being seen as the first in a series of non-military retaliatory steps to mount pressure on Pakistan.
According to sources, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) last week carried out long-pending reservoir flushing at the Salal (690 MW) and Baglihar (900 MW) hydroelectric projects—located on the Chenab river. The IWT, in effect since 1960, had prohibited such flushing due to concerns over downstream flooding and property damage in Pakistan. This is the first time India has been able to conduct the sediment removal since the construction of the two dams in 1987 and 2009, respectively.
Officials said flushing is critical for improving power generation efficiency and protecting turbines from sediment-related damage, with both dams having operated below capacity for years.
Additionally, the Centre is expected to fast-track six long-stalled hydroelectric projects in the region, including the 1,856 MW Sawalkot project, the Kirthai I and II projects with a combined capacity of 1,320 MW, and the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul plant. Three other projects are also in the pipeline, contributing to a total potential of 2,224 MW. When completed, these initiatives could help Jammu and Kashmir reach a capacity of 10,000 MW in power generation and expand water availability for irrigation and domestic use in the plains.
The renewed push comes as India no longer needs to provide Pakistan a six-month notice or face legal hurdles under the now-suspended IWT before commencing such projects.
A high-level meeting involving Home Minister Amit Shah, Water Resources Minister CR Patil, Power Minister ML Khattar, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and top bureaucrats is scheduled this week to discuss the projects and other water-related actions. Two prior meetings between Shah and Patil have already explored possibilities like new infrastructure along the Chenab and Jhelum rivers and the revival of Wular Lake.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 under World Bank mediation, allocated the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan. The latter are vital for Pakistan, accounting for nearly 80% of its agricultural water. India’s use of these rivers was limited to non-consumptive purposes like hydropower and irrigation.
India formally suspended the treaty on April 24, stating, “Not one drop of water will cross the border.” The move followed Pakistan’s denial of involvement in the Pahalgam attack and its warning that any attempt to divert water would be “an act of war.” While India lacks sufficient reservoir infrastructure to immediately block water flow, it did briefly halt flow at the Baglihar Dam—seen as a symbolic warning to Islamabad.
Kushvinder Vohra, former head of the Central Water Commission, said the suspension of the IWT allows India to unilaterally move forward with dam and reservoir construction that was earlier restricted.
Meanwhile, speculation continues around India’s possible military retaliation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly given the armed forces a free hand, and on Monday, he met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, a day after holding talks with Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
In 2019, India conducted a precision air strike on terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan, following a deadly attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama by Jaish-e-Mohammed. This time, the Pahalgam attack was claimed by The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot.
As diplomatic tensions escalate, the twin-track strategy of strategic military planning and assertive water resource control underlines India’s new approach to tackling cross-border terrorism.
Sources By Agencies
