India has halted water flow to Pakistan from the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River and plans to reduce runoffs from the Kishanganga dam on the Jhelum River. These actions follow India’s decision to stop all water transfers to Pakistan from the Indus rivers. After discussions and testing, India began de-silting operations at the Baglihar dam and lowered sluice gates, cutting downstream flow to Pakistan by up to 90%. Similar operations are also planned for the Kishanganga dam.
This move comes shortly after Pakistan tested a surface-to-surface missile and banned docking of Pakistani ships in Indian ports. The Kishanganga dam will undergo maintenance soon, halting all downstream flow. Pakistan has raised objections regarding the designs of both dams.
India paused the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which led to multiple casualties. A senior official noted that, with the IWT in abeyance, India is exploring ways to utilize river waters for its citizens’ benefit.
India has also reported progress on four major hydropower projects on the Chenab River, expected to be completed by 2027-28. These include Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Ratle (850 MW), being developed in partnership with Jammu and Kashmir’s State Power Development Corporation.
