In yet another strong step against Pakistan amid Pahalgam tension, India has stanched the flow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River. Following this step, India is also planning similar measures at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River, according to media reports.
Several media reports also suggested that these hydroelectric dams – Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir – offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases. The latest decision by New Delhi comes days after it decided to suspend the decades-old treaty in the wake of the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
#WATCH | J&K: Latest visuals from Ramban where all gates of Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project Dam on Chenab River are closed. pic.twitter.com/aqyAQOoMCY
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2025
The Indus Waters Treaty has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960. The Baglihar Dam has been a longstanding point of contention between the two countries, with Pakistan having sought World Bank arbitration in the past.
The Kishanganga Dam has faced legal and diplomatic scrutiny, especially regarding its impact on the Neelum River, a tributary of the Jhelum. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to take revenge on Pakistan to eliminate the perpetrators and backers of terrorism.
In light of PM Modi’s resolve, New Delhi has taken a slew of measures against the neighbouring country, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty signed between both countries in 1960 and halting all sorts of imports.
Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave India within a week.