India Chokes Water Flow at Baglihar Dam, Slashes Supply to Pakistan by 90%

India has stanched 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 told news agency PTI. Notably, this came after 12 days of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 followed by the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, killing 26 men, mostly tourists.

The source familiar with the matter said these hydroelectric dams, Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir, offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases.

According to Hindustan Times, India decided to begin de-silting operations in the Baglihar dam and lower sluice gates, reducing downstream flow to Pakistan by up to 90% after a week-long discussion and hydrological testing. The process for the same started on Saturday and similar operations have been planned for the Kishanganga dam too.

The report added that the Kishanganga dam, the first mega hydropower plant located in the northwestern Himalayas in the Gurez valley, will also undergo massive maintenance work “very soon”, and all flow from it downstream will be halted.

Pakistan is highly dependent on the river system for its agriculture, which accounts for 24% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 37.4% to employment in 2024. Islamabad has already termed New Delhi's measure to put the treaty in abeyance as an act of war and vowed to seek legal help.

Ongoing Hydel Power Projects

As per the report, India has made steady progress on four ongoing hydel power projects--Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Ratle (850 MW)--over the Chenab river and its tributaries in Jammu and Kashmir. They are likely to be commissioned in 2027-28.

The Baglihar Dam has been a longstanding point of contention between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with Islamabad having sought World Bank arbitration in the past.

Meanwhile, the Kishanganga Dam has also faced legal and diplomatic scrutiny, mostly regarding its impact on the Neelum River, a tributary of the Jhelum.