SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): In a major escalation, the Indian government has begun implementing its decision to block the flow of water from three rivers in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) — the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — to Pakistan, following its unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the progress with senior ministers along with officers from their respective ministries and the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi.
The meeting focused on short-, medium-, and long-term measures to prevent water from reaching Pakistan. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for diversion and storage projects on the three rivers are either completed or underway.
Plans include desilting of existing dams, construction of new storage reservoirs, diversion of river flows to Indian states, and fast-tracking hydroelectric projects that Pakistan had opposed under the treaty.
Indian government’s strategy
Officials emphasized that Delhi government’s strategy is aimed at retaining, diverting, and repurposing water for India’s irrigation and water security needs.
Observers warn that India’s diversion projects could escalate tensions further, with Pakistan already threatening retaliation and viewing the move as a direct violation of international water-sharing norms.
