A sharp drop in the Chenab River’s water levels has been recorded in Pakistan, following India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and the closure of all gates at Baglihar and Salal dams in Jammu and Kashmir. The move comes as a firm response by India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
According to Dawn News, water flow at Marala headworks in Pakistan’s Punjab province plummeted from 35,000 cusecs on Sunday to just 3,100 cusecs by Monday morning.
“They have almost blocked the River Chenab flows to downstream (Pakistan) after they (Indian authorities) took the decision on Sunday,” a senior official of Pakistan’s Punjab Irrigation Department confirmed to Dawn.
Meanwhile, visuals from Reasi and Ramban districts in Jammu and Kashmir showed complete closure of all gates at both Salal and Baglihar dams, cutting off most of the river’s flow downstream.
In Islamabad, a meeting of the Indus River System Authority (ISRA)’s advisory committee raised alarm over the unilateral Indian decision. ISRA warned that the water cut could lead to severe irrigation shortages, especially during the critical Kharif season, already estimated to be facing a 21% shortfall. The regulator confirmed that if the situation persisted, shortages would be recalculated, and daily monitoring was being undertaken.
India’s move has been met with public support domestically, particularly from residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who denounced Pakistan’s continued provocation. Some warned of possible conflict escalation if hostile acts continued.
The water action is part of a broader Indian diplomatic offensive following the terror attack in Pahalgam, which New Delhi has attributed to Pakistan-based elements. The Indian government has:
- Put the 1960 Indus Water Treaty on hold
- Expelled Pakistani Defence, Naval, Air, and Military Advisors from its High Commission in Delhi
- Initiated plans for further economic and diplomatic isolation of Pakistan
The Indian government has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, declaring that those responsible for the Pahalgam attack will be brought to justice.