India has escalated tensions with Pakistan by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and stopping the flow of the Chenab River at the Baglihar and Salal dams in Ramban and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir, starting May 4, 2025. The decision follows the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, which India attributes to Pakistan-based militants. The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, mediated by the World Bank, allocates the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers primarily to Pakistan and the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej to India, surviving decades of conflict until this unprecedented move.
On May 4, India closed the gates of the 900-MW Baglihar Dam in Ramban, sharply reducing the Chenab’s downstream flow into Pakistan. The 690-MW Salal Dam in Reasi followed on May 5, leaving parts of the riverbed nearly dry. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation described the closures as part of de-silting and reservoir refilling operations, started May 3 at Baglihar and May 4 at Salal, to improve power generation efficiency. India’s failure to notify Pakistan of these actions breaches treaty protocols, marking a deliberate shift in policy.
The suspension is widely viewed as a response to Pakistan’s alleged support for terrorism, with government sources indicating potential flow restrictions at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River. The Chenab is vital to Pakistan, supporting 80% of its irrigated agriculture and powering dams like Tarbela. Pakistan has condemned the flow cuts as an “act of aggression” and is preparing to seek World Bank arbitration under the treaty’s dispute resolution framework.
India’s ability to sustain water blockages is limited by the treaty’s cap of 3.6 million acre-feet of storage on western rivers, and new reservoirs would take years to build. Proposals to release sediment to clog Pakistani rivers risk environmental damage to Indian users downstream. In Ramban and Reasi, locals have flocked to see the exposed Chenab riverbed, with heavy rainfall on May 2 briefly raising levels in Akhnoor before the dam closures took effect.
India is exploring long-term plans to expand reservoir capacity at hydroelectric projects, signalling greater control over Indus waters. Pakistan’s dependence on the Chenab amplifies the stakes, with the World Bank under pressure to mediate despite its limited role. The treaty’s suspension and Chenab flow halt underscore a volatile mix of water security and geopolitical rivalry, threatening stability in South Asia.
