India considers major water diversion from Pakistan

Shafaq News/ India is reportedly weighing plans to significantly increase its withdrawal of water from the Indus River, a crucial water source that sustains vast agricultural lands in Pakistan, according to sources cited by Reuters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered accelerated planning on water projects across the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus rivers—three of the six rivers covered under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which India suspended participation in last month, Reuters reported citing sources.

One of the proposals under consideration involves doubling the length of the historic Ranbir Canal on the Chenab River to 120 km, a move that could allow India to divert as much as 150 cubic meters of water per second—up from the current 40 cubic meters.

While India is entitled under the treaty to limited irrigation use of these waters, the proposed expansion and other related infrastructure—such as large dams and hydropower projects—could significantly reduce water flow to Pakistan.

Pakistani officials called India’s suspension of the treaty unlawful and warned that any attempt to alter water flows would be seen as an "act of war." About 80% of Pakistan’s farmland relies on the Indus system, which also powers nearly all its hydropower infrastructure.

Pakistan has threatened legal action through the World Bank and international courts, including the International Court of Justice. “Water should not be weaponized,” Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Reuters, emphasizing that Islamabad will resist any scenario that does not reinstate the treaty.

Although these projects would take years to fully implement, Pakistan has already felt the pressure. In early May, water levels at one key downstream location dropped by 90% during Indian maintenance work—highlighting the fragility of the current arrangement.