India Halts Water Flow to Pakistan from Chenab River Dam Amid Escalating Tensions

India Halts Water Flow to Pakistan from Chenab River Dam: India has significantly reduced water flow to Pakistan through the Chenab River after closing the gates of the Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district.

The move comes amid rising tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, mostly tourists.

The source familiar with the matter told the news agency these hydroelectric dams – Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir – offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases.

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The Baglihar Dam has been a longstanding point of contention between the two neighbours, with Pakistan having sought World Bank arbitration in the past. The Kishanganga Dam has faced legal and diplomatic scrutiny, especially regarding its impact on the Neelum River, a tributary of the Jhelum.

These rivers, which flow from India into Pakistan, are considered the lifelines of the country as it depends on them for irrigation and potable water supply.

India's blazing economic and diplomatic actions over the attack have made Pakistan nervous, as the nation fears that a military strike by New Delhi is imminent.

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India has put the 1960 World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty "in abeyance" until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”

He added: “This has been an excellent move. This treaty was overly generous to Pakistan. India has 40% of the catchment area of the Indus basin. But under the treaty, we are providing Pakistan with as much as 80% of the water. And keeping only 20% for ourselves.”

Chandra noted that even if India were to harness its rightful share under the treaty, it could help resolve chronic shortages in northern India. At the same time, any restriction on the flows to Pakistan would strike at the heart of its irrigation-dependent agriculture and fragile economy.

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