India Pakistan News How Is India Weaponizing Water Against Pak | Indus Water Treaty | Pahalgam

India has begun turning the taps off—literally. Following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, India has started tightening its control over water flowing to Pakistan under the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty. In a bold move, Indian authorities have shut the gates of the Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, drying up the Chenab riverbed downstream. Similar actions are now being planned at the Kishanganga Dam over the Jhelum. The impact is immediate and visible: Chenab’s reduced flow has triggered an acute water crisis in Pakistan and is expected to severely affect Kharif crop sowing, especially in Punjab province. Reports confirm that this decision wasn’t sudden. With recent rains filling the reservoirs to the brim, India began flushing out silt by opening gates—only to close them shortly after, halting the water flow once again. Officials say it takes three days to rebuild the water reserve. In the meantime, downstream areas in both India and Pakistan are left bone dry. While NHPC officials have tried to downplay any violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, they also admit they’re bound to follow the Government of India’s directives. And the directive, it seems, is clear: water diplomacy is now on the table. Signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty gave India control over the eastern rivers and allowed Pakistan access to the western ones. But now, citing national interest and security concerns, India is actively reconsidering its approach to this long-standing agreement. Beyond just halting flow, authorities are also exploring ways to divert Chenab waters to Indian villages in Pargwal, Akhnoor, and Gharota through old canal systems like the Partap Canal. With diplomacy under strain and dams at the center of geopolitics, water—once seen as a symbol of cooperation—might now flow into becoming a tool of strategic pressure.