JAMMU DEC 30 : India is fast-tracking clearances for new projects in Jammu and Kashmir aimed at diverting the flow of three key rivers—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab—towards Indian territory to curb the volume of water reaching Pakistan, following the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the April 26 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Senior ministers, including the Union Home Minister, the Jal Shakti Minister and the Power Minister, have been closely reviewing detailed project reports and the progress of hydropower and storage projects designed to retain, divert and repurpose these river waters for irrigation, power generation and domestic needs within India.
Pakistan has protested the move in letters to top United Nations officials, accusing India of “weaponising water” and warning that reduced flows could trigger a humanitarian crisis affecting around 240 million people by impacting agriculture and food security, even as New Delhi explores desilting existing dams, building new reservoirs and removing earlier procedural hurdles to fast-track long-pending hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
