How Will Jammu and Kashmir Use Indus Water Treaty Water?

As India plans to construct a 113-kilometer canal to redirect surplus water from the three western rivers of the Indus system—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that surplus water from these rivers should first be used to meet the needs of the region before being diverted to other northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

“I will not permit this at the moment. Let us use our water for ourselves first. After that, we can think about others. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. Why should I send water to Punjab? Punjab already had water under the Indus Waters Treaty. Did they give us water when we needed it?…Right now, this water is for our own usage,” Abdullah told reporters.

His remarks come amid India's proposal for the 113-kilometer canal project to ensure complete utilization of water from the three western rivers of the Indus system—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—which currently flow into Pakistan, to address the water scarcity in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. 

This inter-basin transfer project is part of a broader strategy to optimize water usage in the country. The canal will connect the Chenab River with the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers, ensuring that India's full share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty is utilized, officials said.

The central project, aimed at maximizing the potential of the Indus River system, is expected to be completed within three years.

During an event in Madhya Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Indus waters will be taken to Rajasthan’s Ganganagar through canals within three years.”

The government’s decision follows the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a strong message to Pakistan, stated that “water and blood cannot flow together.”

Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister also called for the revival of the decades-old Tulbul Navigation Project, which was stalled under pressure from Pakistan due to the Indus Waters Treaty. He argued that resuming the project could enhance navigation on the Jhelum River and benefit the region's power generation.

“The Wular Lake in North Kashmir—the civil works you see in the video is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage. It was started in the early 1980s but had to be abandoned under pressure from Pakistan citing the Indus Waters Treaty. Now that the IWT has been ‘temporarily suspended,’ I wonder if we will be able to resume the project. It will give us the advantage of using the Jhelum for navigation. It will also improve the power generation of downstream projects, especially in winter,” he said in a post on X.

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