Indus Water Treaty

[SSridhar]

Significant risk to Uri hydro plant: Pakistan retaliation met swift CISF action during Operation Sindoor; how families were evacuated in time - ToI

Pakistan's retaliation put the Uri hydroelectric plant near the Line of Control (LoC) under significant risk during a high-risk security situation that unfolded after India launched Operation Sindoor. However, the CISF successfully foiled the attempted attack, protecting both the power project and the residents living nearby.

On Tuesday, the CISF honoured 19 of its personnel with the director general's disc for their extraordinary courage during this high-risk situation. The awards were presented at a ceremony in the CISF headquarters, where the leadership praised the team for safeguarding a critical national installation during intense cross-border shelling.

The CISF provided counterterror security cover to the Uri Hydro Electric Power Projects (UHEP-I and II), located along the Jhelum river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, located 8-10 kms from the LoC.

The personnel have been honoured and recognise for their door-to-door evacuation of civilians in the time of high military tensions. The troops evacuated women, children, NHPC (national hydroelectric power corporation) staff and their families -- amidst Pakistani shelling.

"Their prompt and fearless actions ensured the safe evacuation of around 250 civilians, preventing any loss of life. Even as rounds landed dangerously close to the premises, the personnel continued to reinforce bunkers, maintain communication lines through POLNET and satellite systems, and provide emergency assistance," the statement said.

The troops also neutralised "hostile" drones targeting Indian installations and secured armoury stockpiles by quickly redistributing weapons to avoid potential destruction, it added.

Throughout the crisis, the "integrity" of critical national assets remained protected due to the vigilance and preparedness of the CISF personnel, the statement said.

Commandant Ravi Yadav, along with deputy commandant Manohar Singh and assistant commandant Subash Kumar, led teams at Uri-I and Uri-II in initiating immediate protective measures for the installations and nearby townships.

The personnel recognised include constables, head constables, inspectors and sub-inspectors from both Uri units. Among them are Constables Sushil Vasant Kamble, Raziqe Ahmad Abdul Rafique, Wankhede Ravindra Gulab, Tridev Chakma, Sohan Lal, Mufeed Ahmad, Mahesh Kumar and Sandenaboina Raju; Head Constables Gurjit Singh, Manoj Kumar Sharma and Ram Lal; Inspector Deepak Kumar Jha; Sub-inspectors Anil Kumar and Deepak Kumar; and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Rajeev Kumar and Sukhdev Singh.

According to the CISF, "They carried out real-time analysis of incoming shell trajectories, identified safe zones and organised the relocation of residents to bunker shelters.

"India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6-7, under which 9 major terror hideouts were blown to bits in Pakistan and PoK. This counterterror action was taken as a strong retaliatory measure after a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack in South Kashmir's Pahalgam.

[SSridhar]

India speeds-up projects in J&K as Pakistan raises IWT at UN - ET

While India is accelerating work and fast-tracking clearances for hydropower projects in Jammu & Kashmir after suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Pakistan has stepped up its campaign against New Delhi at international fora.

Its latest move: a letter to the UN Security Council accusing India of "weaponising water" by placing the IWT in abeyance, which, Islamabad claims, threatens the human rights and food security of millions of Pakistanis.

In a December 11 communication addressed to the UNSC President, the UN Secretary-General, and the President of the UN General Assembly, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar flagged what he called India's "continued weaponisation of water" following the "unlawful and unilateral" suspension of the Treaty. He warned this posed a "grave risk to regional peace and security".

The four-page letter, which Pakistan has sought to circulate as an official Security Council document under the agenda item "India-Pakistan question", argues that any disruption in water flows could trigger a humanitarian crisis affecting 240m people and jeopardise Pakistan's agriculture and food supply. Pakistan also cites UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions recognising access to water as a human right. Islamabad is currently serving a two-year term (2025-26) as a non-permanent UNSC member.

Pakistan further claims that India's "unilateral" suspension of the IWT under the "false pretext" of the Pahalgam attack violates customary international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. It warns that the move sets a "troubling precedent", enabling states to exit treaties on the grounds of "changed circumstances" to mask strategic or political objectives.

Islamabad is also relying on recent correspondence by five UN experts and Special Rapporteurs-made public on December 15-to strengthen its case. The communication reportedly raises concerns about India's use of force against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack without "credible evidence", as well as the unilateral IWT suspension, saying both could have "severe adverse impacts" on Pakistanis' human rights.

Pakistan's posture has also been bolstered by recent developments at the Hague-based Court of Arbitration (CoA) and in the Neutral Expert proceedings on the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects.

[SSridhar]

Indus Water Treaty put on hold, government clears another Chenab hydel project - ToI

Paving the way for the construction of a project of strategic significance following suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a panel of the environment ministry has approved the 260 MW Dulhasti State-II hydropower project on the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir.

It comes two months after a similar approval was granted for construction of the 1,856-MW Sawalkot hydroelectric project on the same river in Ramban district of the UT. Approvals to the project came from the expert appraisal committee of the ministry on hydel projects.

Both these projects will harness the potential of the Chenab - one of the western rivers along with Indus and Jhelum whose waters currently flow unchecked to Pakistan despite India's right to use it for non-consumptive purposes, including hydro-power generation.

Estimated to cost Rs 3,200 crore, Dulhasti State-II is an extension of 390 MW Dulhasti State-I, which has been successfully operating since 2007. Under the plan, water will be diverted from Stage-I through a separate tunnel.

The project will require over 8 hectares of private land to be acquired from two villages, Benzwar and Palmer, in Kishtwar district.

So far, only 3,482 MW capacity of hydro-power generation units has been constructed by India out of an estimated potential of about 20,000 MW in Jammu & Kashmir which could be harnessed from power projects on its western rivers.

[Vayutuvan]

How long before India can start storing water and generating power from these projects? They need to be pushed through on an accelerated timetable.

[VishnuS]

How long before India can start storing water and generating power from these projects? They need to be pushed through on an accelerated timetable.

Full diversion is at least a decade away, partial diversion is at least a couple of years away....

But the brilliance of IWT abeyance is not in water diversion, but taking away the predictability of water flow for irrigation...

If the crop doesn't get enough water to irrigate even for a week during the crop growth then that season's crop growth is gone...

Today, we don't have the ability to stop water, but Pak also doesn't know when we will let the water flow or stop it for a few days/weeks and that's what hurting them.

Every barage, dam or water storage facility is affected by silt and cleaning that away takes time, money and it done in the background with less publicity, in short this will either get less importance and funding than all the noise Pak makes in UN, WB, other international forums around IWT.

[sanjaykumar]

Is there evidence that India has in fact utilised this leverage?

I am not sure it would go down well with the public. So perhaps they are doing it with plausible deniability. Or surreptitiously.

[chetak]

Is there evidence that India has in fact utilised this leverage?

I am not sure it would go down well with the public. So perhaps they are doing it with plausible deniability. Or surreptitiously.

sanjaykumar ji,

Whatever be the future outcome of the IWT, now suspended or held in abeyance by India, the days of the extortionate terms that were prised out of India either by blackmail, bribery or even geopolitical threat are gone forever.

the pakis will be lucky if the manage to get 30-40% of the Indus system of river waters

The equally greedy beedis have been long quoting this IWT as an example of how the upper riparian state should behave and were demanding a similar very large percentage of the Ganges-Padma Water Treaty of 1996, that is now coming up for renewal in 2026

There is no other idiotic example of any water sharing treaty in the world where the upper riparian (India) sawed of both of her own feet to please some greedy and agenda driven amriki goras and simultaneously also appease a jihadi state, even while being forced into giving the jihadi state huge moneys to build water related infrastructure at India's cost

neverwho was an incompetent who couldn't even buy himself the nobel

This Ganges-Padma Water Treaty may either get wiped out all together or at best give the beedis a minor share of the waters with India rightly reserving the bulk of the waters for itself

It's time for our greedy and entitled jihadi neighbours to learn how to respect their elders and betters, if they don't want to see the wrong end of the Indian stick.

I am not sure it would go down well with the public

One sees a sea change in the public's perception, especially post Op Sindoor, post amriki sanctions, and also post Dhurandhar.

India's Strong responses to the amriki sanctions have consolidated Modi ji's global popularity and particularly his strong man image

The burning of Hindu's in kangladesh by the jihadi beedis have ignited feelings of deep social revulsion and cultural rejection that will directly impact elections in bengal

The national feeling now is: History gawah hai, hum ghar mein ghus kar maarte hain.

BTW, Dhurandhar is a phenomenon that we have not yet fully understood. To write it off as a mere bollywood production would be foolishness, or even simplistic. There is a nationalistic depth to it that has yet to be explored in it's many dimensions.

The seeds sown by Dhurandhar and the sentiments that were generated across the length and breadth of India (even the pakis watched the pirated copies of Dhurandhar in very large numbers) have left the desert cults with a sense of dismay and foreboding.

The reaction of the Indian public was/is as unprecedented as it was/is unexpected. The movie was not promoted in the usual sense but almost purely by word of mouth. What was it about the movie that literally pulled audiences into theatres, even as many watched it for a second or third time, each time discovering another dimension that they had missed in their previous viewings

SIR and the stamp of SC approval, even in the face of repeated judicial challenges, have further sealed the electoral stench of woke, jihadi and commie sponsored vote bank manipulation and generated a very strong sense of anti jihadi antipathy because of the rampant vote chori via demographic enrichment of the electoral base, thus anti democratically devastating the will of thousands of unsuspecting and law abiding voters, a theft of democracy that the congi and its affiliates have surreptitiously indulged in for multiple decades, leading to the wanton distorting of the true democratic of the will of the people of India

This is what mumtaz bano and the woke congis, samajwadis, and the jihadis are dreading

[chetak]

How long before India can start storing water and generating power from these projects? They need to be pushed through on an accelerated timetable.

Vayutuvan ji,

we have them by the short and curlies only during the lean seasons, when the water flow is much reduced

That's enough to hurt the pakis quite badly for now, even as it reveals and exposes the geopolitical impotence of the country's leadership

The rest of the agenda is new infrastructure dependant and will take time for India to implement

But now, the lack of hydrological data from India (real-time flow, snowmelt, and discharge info) and the uncertainty of water flows is what is hitting them hard.

The clearance of silt from Indian dams which was "FORBIDDEN" under the IWT as interpreted by the pakis by using various subterfuges and legalese. The very fact that such interpretations were possible by the lax conditions imposed by the agenda driven goras who operated slyly and cunningly via the world bank (to give the local yokels the impression that the WB was underwriting the IWT hence the IWT should be seen as eminently kosher), and the language of the treaty negotiated by the clueless Indian signatory was proof that India was ill served and her national interests were given the go by while upholding the paki requirements above and beyond the call

Given India's current geopolitical and geo economic heft, the WB has very wisely maintained both, an arms length distance and a studied silence on the matter, except for occasional rumblings when poked and prodded by the amrikis to please the colonized paki jihadis

Key Points about the IWT & Siltation:

Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej): India has unrestricted use and rights to build storage/hydro projects, but siltation remains a major problem, reducing dam capacity (e.g., Bhakra Nangal).

Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab): India's use is restricted to non-consumptive uses like run-of-the-river power, with limited storage, which Pakistan often objects to, making large dams (and thus desilting) difficult.

"Forbidden" Implication: While not explicitly banning desilting, the treaty's strict limits on storage capacity and Pakistan's objections to Indian projects on western rivers create a situation where major desilting/storage projects are politically and technically challenging, effectively making large-scale silt clearance difficult or "forbidden" in practice


India suspended sharing crucial hydrological data with Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in April 2025 due to rising tensions, impacting Pakistan's flood warnings, irrigation, and water management, though India claims it's only pausing, not ending, the treaty, while Pakistan urges compliance with the 1960 pact despite receiving limited data. This halt means Pakistan lacks real-time flow, snowmelt, and discharge info, increasing vulnerability to floods and drought, and hindering planning, as India now controls more aspects of the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab).

Context of Data Sharing: Pre-2025: India had already reduced data sharing after 2019, only providing flood season data under separate agreements, not the full IWT mechanism.

2025 Suspension: Following an attack in Kashmir, India put the IWT "in abeyance," stopping all routine hydrological data exchange (flow, melt, discharge).
Impact on Pakistan:

Flood Risk: Lack of timely flood warnings makes Pakistan more vulnerable to devastating floods, affecting lives and infrastructure.

Water Management: Hinders planning for irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water, as crucial data on upstream flows is missing.

Drought Concerns: Contributes to water shortages and increased uncertainty in river flows, particularly during dry seasons.

India's Stance & Actions: Condition for Resumption: India links data sharing and treaty compliance to Pakistan ending support for cross-border terrorism.

Increased Control: Suspension allows India greater freedom to build and operate water projects on western rivers.

Pakistan's Response: Calls the suspension illegal and an act of war.
Urges India to resume data sharing through the official IWT channels, even as it acknowledges receiving limited information diplomatically.

Future Outlook: Experts suggest mediation and renegotiation to create a more climate-resilient framework, emphasizing the need for early warning systems and technocratic dialogue to save the treaty.

[rajkumar]

India Releases Images of Chenab River Dams...

India has released official images of dams built on the Chenab River, drawing attention amid heightened regional sensitivities. The visuals highlight India’s infrastructure and water management projects on the river, which is governed by the Indus Waters Treaty, and come amid renewed focus on cross-border water-sharing issues.

[Jay]

India Releases Images of Chenab River Dams...

India has released official images of dams built on the Chenab River, drawing attention amid heightened regional sensitivities. The visuals highlight India’s infrastructure and water management projects on the river, which is governed by the Indus Waters Treaty, and come amid renewed focus on cross-border water-sharing issues.

Fantastic bit of news coming in less than 6 months of trashing the IWT into dustbin of history. In a decade paki awaam and establishment will stare down the barrel of a dry water pipe and they have no one but themselves to blame.

[chetak]

thus spake omar the abdullah (spake: archaic past of speak.)

J&K was never in favour of Indus Water Treaty.

We've always believed that Indus Water Treaty has been most unfair document to J&K"

Then why Nehru signed it? To benefit whom? Pakistan? Why so much love for Pakistan?

CONgress must answer as it still uses Nehru as Poster Boy.

watch video

https://x.com/i/status/1915742417388523643

[Tanaji]

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/india-h ... y-10931222

India refuses to engage with the illegal Court of Arbitration.

[SSridhar]

If the CoA goes ahead and gives an ex-parte order which would be against Indian interests, that would end up in dustbin just like what China did in the case of the Indo-China Sea in 2016. IWT is passe and will never be revived, even with a successor state to Pakistan.

[Amber G.]

Pakistan's Outreach To World Bank Chief Tied To Indus Waters Treaty Calculus. Here's How | Exclusive

The optics of the grand reception---featuring horses, schoolchildren, banners & ceremonial pageantry---stand in stark contrast to the everyday realities faced by Sikhs in Pakistan,,

Ajay Banga’s visit to Pakistan was deeply personal. His Sikh family was forced to flee Khushab during the violence of Partition in 1947. (News18)

Pakistan’s unusually warm public welcome to World Bank President Ajay Banga during his recent visit to the country is being viewed by Indian government sources as a calculated diplomatic move aimed squarely at safeguarding Islamabad’s interests under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and securing future financial assistance, rather than a gesture rooted in religious outreach or cultural goodwill.

Banga, who serves as the President of the World Bank Group, occupies a critical procedural position in dispute resolution mechanisms linked to the Indus Waters Treaty. Under the treaty framework, the World Bank plays a defined role in appointing neutral experts and facilitating arbitration processes when India and Pakistan disagree on hydroelectric projects and water-sharing interpretations.


P,,
“Pakistan understands that technical rulings and procedural decisions can shape decades of water control. Maintaining goodwill with World Bank leadership strengthens Islamabad’s chances of getting its disputes formally entertained," a senior Indian government source told CNN-News18.



Sources added that Pakistan’s establishment is acutely aware that the Indus river system remains its economic and agricultural lifeline. With multiple Indian hydropower projects under scrutiny, even procedural delays or favourable interpretations can significantly alter outcomes on the ground.

The optics of Banga’s visit, including ceremonial receptions, banners, schoolchildren and mounted escorts, were widely circulated by Pakistani media. However, Indian officials interpret this display as transactional.

“This is not about a Sikh being welcomed home. It is about Pakistan’s desperation for World Bank money and influence over water negotiations," another senior source said.

Banga’s visit also intersected with Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis, where engagement with multilateral lenders remains critical. Government sources say Islamabad hopes that visible warmth toward the World Bank chief could reinforce its credibility as a cooperative stakeholder at a time when loan negotiations and debt restructuring remain urgent.

At the same time, sources familiar with Sikh affairs in Pakistan point to a stark contradiction in Islamabad’s posture. Most Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan, including historic shrines, are administered by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), a state body with negligible Sikh representation and strong influence from Pakistan’s security establishment.

[SSridhar]

The World Bank has no further role to play in the issue. All it could do was to either arrange for a Neutral Expert or a Court of Arbitration. Unfortunately, it has been caught in its own trap when it constituted a CoA for what was clearly an NE's job and then it also constituted an NE too for the same issue. It thus completely lost credibility even in its very limited role.

There is nothing much else that the World Bank can do in this case. IWT is done and dusted because the Terrorist State consistently over-reached and hanged itself by the unusually long rope given to it over the last five decades by a generous & considerate India.

This unusual welcome to Ajay Banga is for more begging, more alms.

TSP knows pretty well that IWT is now a permanently closed chapter. There may not be any grave immediate danger to TSP, but over a medium term it will.

[ritesh]

If the CoA goes ahead and gives an ex-parte order which would be against Indian interests, that would end up in dustbin just like what China did in the case of the Indo-China Sea in 2016. IWT is passe and will never be revived, even with a successor state to Pakistan.

Saar, god forbid if CON party comes back? Why can't India just anul and move ahead?

[rajkumar]

India Initiates The Work On ₹5,129 Crore Sawalkot Hydro Electric Project On The Chenab | News18

The Indian government has officially initiated work on the ₹5,129 crore Sawalkot Hydro Electric Project on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a major step towards boosting renewable energy in the region. The project is expected to enhance hydroelectric power generation, provide jobs, and contribute to sustainable development in J&K. NSPC has put out the e-tenders...

[ritesh]

Guru log, but why are we still pursuing run of the river project?
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india ... 17371.html

[chetak]

If the CoA goes ahead and gives an ex-parte order which would be against Indian interests, that would end up in dustbin just like what China did in the case of the Indo-China Sea in 2016. IWT is passe and will never be revived, even with a successor state to Pakistan.

Saar, god forbid if CON party comes back? Why can't India just anul and move ahead?

ritesh ji,

The IWT in it's present form is dead. It will be renegotiated on India's terms. India is the upper riparian state and she will use that advantage to the hilt to get herself the major share of the waters as is her right.

The biggest fear of the pakis has come true and even they know, In their heart of hearts, that the unjustifiable IWT has run its course. Yes, they will kick and scream on international fora but that is about all that they can actually do

No way that anyone can justify a 83%, give or take, share to the pakis, not in today's day and age.

The amrikis cannot open their hole regarding the IWT because of what they did to mexico with the waters of the colorado

The U.S. and Mexico signed the 1944 treaty governing shared waters. The treaty allocated some 10 percent of the Colorado’s water to Mexico

So, in 1944, the amrikis gave only <10% of their colorado waters to mexico but in 1960, the same miserly amrikis, using the WB to bamboozle a befuddled and a highly egoistic neverwho, literally made India give 83% of India's waters to the pakis per the IWT, along with million$ from India given to the pakis to "develop" their canal infrastructure

India has a by far larger need for the water to sustain its own agricultural infrastructure. Why would she be considerate of her sworn enemies be it the pakis or the beedis.

Those days of 1947 and britshit installed manchurian candidate days are over. The Geopolitical and geo economic out look of India has evolved far beyond the confines of pak and out grown the pakis constantly whining need for Indian attention to feed their jihadi sense of entitlement.

If India wasn't assertive then because of "nobel considerations", she will be decisive now because of NATSEC considerations

Both the pakis and the beedis are desperately hoping and praying that past "generosities" of a Hindu India are an indication to the way they want and need their future negotiations with India to go




A minor historical aside......

Cleopatra was the best honeytrap in history because for the price of one night, here is what she got in return from marc antony.

Based on historical accounts, here are the details of the "price" Antony paid:

The "Donations" of Territory: Antony distributed lands held by Rome and Parthia to Cleopatra and their children. He confirmed her as Queen of Egypt, Cyprus, Libya, and central Syria.

Titles and Legitimacy: He proclaimed their children rulers over these territories and declared Caesarion (her son by Julius Caesar) as the true son and heir of Caesar.

The Pearl Wager: In a famous, likely embellished anecdote by Pliny the Elder, Cleopatra won a wager with Antony regarding who could host the most expensive dinner by dissolving one of her priceless pearl earrings in vinegar and drinking it, a gesture highlighting the immense wealth Antony was entranced by.

These acts were deemed treasonous in Rome and ultimately led to Octavian declaring war, ending their reign.

[rajkumar]

https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/st ... ster-patil

Indus water flowing to Pakistan to be stopped, used in India’s interest: Union Minister Patil
Patil made the remark while speaking to the media in Jaipur on Saturday, claiming that “the diverted water would benefit several states, including Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan".
Rajesh Asnani
Updated:8th Feb, 2026 at 1:05 AM
JAIPUR: Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil said the Indus River water currently flowing towards Pakistan will be stopped and used in India’s interest.

Patil made the remark while speaking to the media at the BJP headquarters in Jaipur on Saturday, claiming that “the diverted water would benefit several states, including Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan"....

[SSridhar]

India moves to stop Ravi waters to Pak as Shahpur Kandi dam nears finish - ToI

India is preparing to stop surplus water from the Ravi flowing into Pakistan once the Shahpur Kandi dam on Punjab-J&K border becomes operational, marking a long-awaited shift in use of eastern river waters of Indus basin.

J&K minister Javed Ahmed Rana said Monday the dam is expected to be completed by March 31 and is a priority for drought-prone Kathua and Samba districts. Officials said the project will irrigate about 5,000 hectares in Punjab and more than 32,173 hectares across Kathua and Samba in J&K. Central assistance of Rs 485.38 crore was approved for the irrigation component.

Former irrigation minister Taj Mohideen said the dam falls outside Indus Waters Treaty because India has exclusive rights over the Ravi. Rana added that suspension of the treaty has accelerated power and dam projects in J&K.

The 1960 treaty divides the Indus system’s waters, designating eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) to India and western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan. India put the treaty in abeyance after the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, a sharp policy shift aimed at pressuring Pakistan over cross-border terrorism.

The move halted data sharing and opened the door for greater use of western river waters.

Part of the Ravi flows unused through Madhopur into Pakistan despite demand in Punjab and J&K, Rana said, stressing that the dam would curb such wastage. Projects like Shahpur Kandi are critical to reallocating flows towards domestic irrigation and away from downstream discharge.

The project was first cleared in Nov 2001 but stalled for years amid interstate disputes. After a series of bilateral and central meetings, Punjab and J&K reached an agreement in Sept 2018. Union cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved implementation on Dec 6 that year.

Bani MLA Dr Rameshwar Singh said residents had waited years for completion. “Once it is completed, the water will no longer flow into Pakistan but will instead be used to irrigate our own vast areas in Kathua,” he said.