India cuts water supply to Pakistan from Baglihar Dam on Chenab River

NEW DELHI: India has curbed 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, sources said on Sunday, the Indian media reported. The hydroelectric dams -- Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir -- offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases, Press Trust of India reported, quoting sources familiar with the matter. India’s decision to suspend the decades-old treaty follows the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam on April 22.

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

Both countries are on the brink of an armed conflict, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent high-level meeting with the top defence brass, asserted that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the terror attack.

In response, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries. Pakistan rejected India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and said any move to stop the flow of water will be seen as an “act of war”.