NEW DELHI, May 6: India has closed the sluice gates of the Baglihar and Salal dams in Jammu and Kashmir, sharply reducing the flow of the Chenab River into Pakistan. The move comes in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, and follows New Delhi’s broader response that includes suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.
According to local reports, the decision to halt water release through the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project and the Salal Dam has caused parts of the Chenab riverbed to dry up. Officials stated that only minimal water is being released through a single gate of each dam to mitigate the environmental impact on aquatic life.
The Chenab, one of the six rivers under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty brokered by the World Bank, plays a critical role in Pakistan’s agriculture, especially in the Punjab province. Other rivers governed by the treaty include the Jhelum, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
India’s suspension of water flows is part of a series of stern measures in response to the Pahalgam attack, in which terrorists targeted civilians, including 26 tourists. In addition to altering water-sharing terms, the Indian government has withdrawn trade and cultural ties with Pakistan, declared key Pakistani High Commission military personnel persona non grata, and shut down the Attari-Wagah border crossing for movement.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has reported a sharp decline in the Chenab’s water flow. According to Dawn News, data from the Marala headworks in Pakistan’s Punjab province showed a dramatic drop—from 35,000 cusecs on Sunday to just 3,100 cusecs by Monday morning.
“They have almost blocked the River Chenab flows to downstream Pakistan after they took the decision on Sunday,” a senior official of the Punjab irrigation department in Pakistan told Dawn.
The Indus River System Authority (IRSA), which manages water distribution in Pakistan, expressed concern during an emergency advisory committee meeting held in Islamabad. The committee warned that the current situation could worsen an already strained water supply during the ongoing Kharif crop season, which is currently facing a projected 21 percent shortfall.
Officials added that the situation would be reviewed daily, and water allocations would be updated based on the continuation of reduced flows from the Chenab.
Despite the restricted outflows, some areas experienced temporary surges in water levels due to heavy rainfall. In the Akhnoor area of Jammu, authorities issued evacuation advisories on May 2, alerting residents about a potential rise in the Chenab’s water level.
Police and local administration teams conducted patrols along the riverbanks, advising people to avoid venturing close to the river amid the increased currents.
