India Halts Chenab Water To Pakistan Through Baglihar Dam, Similar Plans For Jhelum As Indus Treaty Remains in Abeyance

India has halted the water flow to Pakistan from the Baglihar dam located on the Chenab river. Simultaneously, it is also planning to reduce water runoff from the Kishanganga project on the Jhelum river. These actions come after the Indus Water Treaty was kept in abeyance.

Following a week of dialogues and water testing, India initiated de-silting activities at the Baglihar dam, subsequently decreasing the downstream flow to Pakistan by a maximum of 90 per cent through the lowering of sluice gates.

An official from the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation announced on Sunday (4 May) that analogous operations are also scheduled for the Kishanganga dam, Hindustan Times reported.

“We have closed the gates of the Baglihar hydel power project. We had done de-silting of the reservoir and it has to be refilled. The process was started on Saturday,” another official was quoted as saying.

Within hours of Pakistan testing its surface-to-surface ballistic missile on Saturday, India responded with actions including the prohibition of ships flying the Pakistani flag from docking at any of the country's ports.

The first large-scale hydropower plant, the Kishanganga dam, situated in the Gurez valley of the northwestern Himalayas, is set to undergo substantial maintenance work "very soon", which will result in a temporary halt in its downstream flow. The designs of this dam, along with another, have been met with objections from Pakistan.

After the Pahalgam attack on 22 April, India has raised the ante against Pakistan. The second official said, “Since India has kept the IWT in abeyance, we are exploring all possible ways to use our river waters for the benefit of our citizens”.

To explore these options, nearly 50 engineers from the NHPC are working in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Home Ministry was updated on the measures being planned by the Jal Shakti ministry.

The official stated that India is making consistent advancements on four continuous hydroelectric power projects on the Chenab river and its tributaries in Jammu and Kashmir. These projects are expected to be operational by 2027-28.

The Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Ratle (850 MW) projects are currently underway through a collaborative effort between the NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC).