Reasi, Jammu & Kashmir— All gates of the Salal Dam on the Chenab River were shut on Monday, leading to a sharp drop in water levels in the Reasi district. This move comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.
Meanwhile, water was seen flowing downstream from the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project in Ramban district.
Reacting to the development, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, calling the move part of the “muscular Modi Doctrine”. In a post on X, he wrote, “It takes political will to make tough decisions in India’s interest. Water and the blood of our citizens cannot flow together.”
Local residents in Reasi voiced support for the decision, viewing it as a strong response to Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of Indian tourists. “This is a very big achievement. Our government is giving a befitting reply,” said one resident. Another added, “We are with the government in whatever decision they take.”
The Chenab’s water level had risen on May 2 due to heavy rainfall in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir, but the dam closures have since caused a reversal.
On April 28, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also endorsed the central government’s actions, including the decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. “Blood and water can’t flow together. Today’s India knows how to maintain both friendship and enmity,” he told .
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, has been a pillar of water-sharing between India and Pakistan for over six decades. Under its terms, the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) are primarily allocated to Pakistan, while the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) go to India, though both sides are allowed limited usage of each other’s rivers.
The latest Indian measures follow what officials describe as Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism. The Pahalgam incident is considered one of the deadliest in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
