Ramban (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 30 (ANI): Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district opened three gates of the Baglihar Dam on Monday as the Chenab River’s water level surged due to relentless rainfall in the region, officials confirmed. The move, coordinated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the local administration, is part of precautionary efforts to manage potential flooding risks.
Advisories have been issued warning residents of rising water levels. River rafting and other water-based activities have been suspended until further notice. Local administration teams are monitoring the situation closely, with stepped-up patrolling and alerts sent to low-lying areas along the Chenab, including Talwada, Kansi Patta, Thanpal, Chinka, Gujrkothi, and Jendi.
Residents in these areas have been urged to remain vigilant, avoid riverbanks, and relocate livestock to higher ground.
The region is witnessing heightened hydrological management efforts following continuous monsoon downpours. Just earlier this month, multiple spillway gates of the Salal Dam in Reasi district were also opened to alleviate rising water levels in the Chenab.
Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shridhar Patil acknowledged the volatile situation and reiterated the need for residents to exercise caution near rivers and streams.
The timing of the dam operations also carries geopolitical significance. In the aftermath of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, India announced a temporary suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Operation Sindoor, signaling a shift in policy toward terrorism-related provocations.
Signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty is a bilateral agreement governing the use of six rivers in the Indus Basin. The treaty allocates the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India and the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan, allowing India limited non-consumptive use of the western rivers.
India has long utilized this framework to build hydroelectric projects like the Salal and Baglihar Dams, which are run-of-the-river (ROR) projects designed not to divert or store significant amounts of water but requiring meticulous flow regulation, particularly during the monsoon season.
In his May 12 address, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s evolving posture on regional security and water diplomacy. Referring to the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot airstrikes, he positioned Operation Sindoor as a continued assertion of India’s firm stance against terrorism, saying, “Water and blood cannot flow together.”
Earlier in May, the Baglihar Dam had opened its gates temporarily on May 8 due to intense rains. Coordinated dam operations across Jammu and Kashmir have so far helped prevent major flood events amid unpredictable weather and elevated tensions in the region. (ANI)
About The Author
