Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared that water once flowing from India into Pakistan will now be stopped and redirected for India’s use. His remarks followed New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) — a decades-old water-sharing pact signed in 1960.
“India’s water used to go outside. Now it will flow for India,” Modi said during a speech in New Delhi. “This water will be used for India’s interests.”
Although Modi did not name Pakistan directly, his words came shortly after India blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), last month. That attack triggered a wave of diplomatic tensions and nightly cross-border fire along the Line of Control (LoC) since April 24.
Pakistan Warns of War Over Water Blockage
In response, Pakistan warned that tampering with river flows would be considered an “act of war.” The country relies heavily on water from the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus rivers for agriculture and human consumption.
India on Tuesday altered the flow of the Chenab River, which, under the IWT, was designated for Pakistan’s control. Pakistan’s Punjab Irrigation Minister Kazim Pirzada said unusual drops in water levels were recorded.
“One day, the river had normal inflow. The next day, it was greatly reduced,” Pirzada told AFP. “These are not natural changes.”
He added that Punjab, home to almost half of Pakistan’s 240 million people, is the country’s agricultural hub. A disruption in river water could damage food production and livelihoods.
Sudden Water Release in AJK
The Jinnah Institute, a Pakistani think tank, also reported a sudden water release from India into Azad Jammu and Kashmir on April 26. Experts believe the move was designed to prevent Pakistan from using stored water effectively.
“This is being done so that we don’t get to utilise the water,” Pirzada said.
Modi’s Threats Not New
Modi, a Hindu nationalist, has threatened to use water as a weapon in the past. In 2016, following another attack in IIOJK, he stated, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”
Tuesday’s speech is seen as a continuation of that aggressive posture.
UN Chief Urges Restraint
The worsening situation has drawn international concern. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that relations between India and Pakistan have reached a “boiling point.”
“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink,” Guterres said on Monday.
Complex Water Dynamics
While India tries to block water flowing into Pakistan, it is also a downstream state of China. Beijing controls the Tibetan headwaters of the Brahmaputra River, vital to India’s northeast. Any disruption from China could similarly hurt Indian regions.
