ISLAMABAD, May 5: With India stopping the flow of the Chenab river from the Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, there has been a significant drop in the Chenab’s water level at Head Marala, in Pakistan’s Punjab.
The water level has plummeted to 4,300 cusecs, a drastic decline from 87,000 cusecs just two days earlier. The normal flow at this point is typically between 25,000 to 30,000 cusecs, Dunya News reported.
India is also planning to stop water from the Jhelum River, via the Kishanganga project.
In a direct attack on Pakistan’s water supply, India has stopped the flow of the Chenab River from the Baglihar Dam, after suspending the Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. While the move is a temporary measure, it’s very much a clear warning sign, and hints at India’s no-nonsense mood, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were gunned down by terrorists linked to Pakistan.
According to Indian officials, the move was necessary as the Baglihar dam can only hold water to a certain height. India began de-silting operations in the Baglihar dam and lowered the sluice gates, reducing downstream flow to Pakistan by up to 90%, and similar operations are planned for the Kishanganga dam.
Additionally, water inflow in the Ravi River has further diminished. India had constructed three dams on the Ravi since 2001, which has cut Pakistan’s share of water by nearly 75%.
Presently, the Ravi only flows during monsoon season, while for the rest of the year, the river remains nearly dry.
This has posed a serious situation to Pakistan’s already debilitating water security, and agriculture. While Islamabad has protested the move, New Delhi has paid no heed.
Islamabad had said that any attack on its water supply will be treated as an “Act of War”, with former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto saying that either “water or blood will flow”.
In punitive measures following the Pahalgam attack, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, thinned its diplomatic staff, shut down the only land border at Attari, expelled Pakistanis, shut down its airspace, and cut down Pakistan’s international trade routes.
(UNI)
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