India cuts water flow to Pakistan through Baglihar dam after Indus Treaty suspension: Report

India has cut off the flow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River and is planning similar measures at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River, a source told news agency PTI.

The source familiar with the matter was quoted as saying that these hydroelectric dams – Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir — offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases.

After a week of discussions and hydrological testing, India began de-silting operations in the Baglihar dam and lowered sluice gates, reducing downstream flow to Pakistan by up to 90%, an official from the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying on Sunday.

Similar operations have been planned for the Kishanganga dam, the official added.

“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,” said a second official said.

Meanwhile, the Kishanganga dam, the first mega hydropower plant located in the north western Himalayas in the Gurez valley, will also undergo massive maintenance work “very soon” and all flow from it downstream will be halted, the report added.

Pakistan has objected to the designs of both these dams.

India's decision to suspend the decades-old Indus Waters treaty follows the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

'Progress on four ongoing hydel power projects'

An official reportedly said that India has made steady progress on four ongoing hydel power projects over the Chenab river and its tributaries in Jammu and Kashmir and they are likely to be commissioned in 2027-28.

These projects – Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Ratle (850 MW) – are being implemented through a joint venture between NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC), the Hindustan Times reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stones of Pakal Dul, Kiru and Kwar hydel power projects on May 19, 2018, February 3, 2019 and April 22, 2022, respectively.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.

The second official told the Hindustan Times, “...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”.

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.