Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, the Indian government suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, a move that marks a serious escalation in bilateral tensions. The treaty, established in 1960, had survived through wars and decades of hostility, allocating about 80% of the Indus basin’s water to Pakistan from the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) and the remaining water from the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India.
In reaction to the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration declared that India would no longer share river flow information with Pakistan and would move swiftly to exploit its full rights over Indus waters—a decision with strong diplomatic and economic ramifications for Pakistan, whose agriculture is critically dependent on these rivers.
India’s strategic plan for Jammu and Kashmir includes a decisive acceleration of hydropower development. Since suspending the IWT, India has stopped sharing project-related data with Pakistan and brought forward deadlines for several key hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to government officials, India is prioritising the completion of four major projects along the Chenab river: Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Ratle (850 MW). Completion dates have been advanced, with the first—Ratle—now scheduled to be operational by May 2026, and the others commissioned by July 2028.
This acceleration extends to approving two new project designs as well, reflecting a policy of zero leniency towards Pakistan in the current climate.
In addition to projects already underway, India is considering bypassing IWT-related clearance processes for five significant hydroelectric plants in Jammu & Kashmir: Bursar (800 MW), Dulhasti II (260 MW), Sawalkote (1856 MW), Uri Stage II (240 MW), and Kirthai II (930 MW).
These projects are expected to be completed in 3–5 years and collectively could add roughly 4,000 MW to the power-starved Jammu and Kashmir region.
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Notably, the Bursar project is a planned storage facility, which would enable regulation of river flows and enhance overall water control—something Pakistan has long objected to under the IWT provisions.
Presently, Jammu and Kashmir has utilised only about 24% of its identified hydropower potential, meaning there is ample scope for expansion.
With an estimated 18,000 MW potential—of which just over 3,500 MW has been tapped—there is significant focus on ramping up not only central and state sector projects but also private sector participation under revised hydro policies.
India is leveraging the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty to fast-track hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir, using its geographic and legal advantages as the upper riparian state to exert pressure on Pakistan.
Major hydropower projects are being expedited, with new deadlines set for between 2026 and 2028, and several additional projects in planning or awaiting fast-track clearances.
Chandigarh’s stance is that ‘blood and water cannot flow together’, and India now refuses to share water-related data or clearances with Pakistan while intensifying utilisation of its river resources.
Pakistan, heavily reliant on Indus basin waters, has warned that any real move to block or divert river flows could be seen as an act of war, underscoring the gravity of the regional crisis.
India’s policy shift signals not only a punitive diplomatic response but also a strategic recalibration of its water and energy infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, aiming both to boost local development and to retain leverage in the complex India-Pakistan relationship.
Based On India.com Report
Agencies
