Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 6 (ANI) — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Udhampur West, Pawan Kumar Gupta, has asserted that Pakistan will suffer significant consequences following India’s decision to place the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance. He linked this move to the government’s firm response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, emphasizing that the victims’ sacrifices will not be forgotten.
“The misdeed that Pakistan carried out in Pahalgam, and the people who lost their lives — we have not let their sacrifice go in vain,” said Gupta. “We have adopted all diplomatic means to achieve our objective and will implement every necessary measure to send a strong message.”
Referring to the 1960 Indus Water Treaty signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Gupta criticized the Congress-led government for allowing Pakistan to use a majority share of water from the Indus river system. “There are three Eastern rivers for India and three Western rivers, of which 80 percent of the water was given to Pakistan. We could have retained 20 percent, but due to Congress, that opportunity was lost,” he stated.
Gupta further pointed out that although the Ravi River is entirely allocated to India under the treaty, six percent of its water still reaches Pakistan. “Now, the Indian government has decided not to allow a single drop of Indian water to flow to Pakistan. The Indus Water Treaty has been put in abeyance. This means we will use the water as needed and only release it when it’s not required. The adverse impact on Pakistan will be severe, especially in winters when water levels are naturally lower,” he said.
As part of the broader strategy, the BJP leader said India will move forward with plans for multipurpose dam projects, raise the heights of existing dams, and fully utilize 20 percent of the water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers.
In a visible consequence of this policy shift, parts of the Chenab River have begun to dry up after India shut the gates of the Baglihar and Salal dams, regulating water flow into Pakistan. This has sparked concerns over water shortages in Pakistan, which heavily relies on the Indus river system for irrigation and agriculture.
The 1960 Indus Water Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the distribution of water from six rivers — Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. While the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) were allocated to India, the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) were designated for Pakistan’s use. The recent developments mark a dramatic policy shift by India as part of its broader diplomatic response to cross-border terrorism. (ANI)
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