India had suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan following the horrific terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. The suspension of the water sharing agreement was among the many measures taken by India against Pakistan, accusing it of perpetrating cross-border terrorism.
The move prompted India to assert its right over River Indus and its two tributaries Jhelum, Chenab that were allocated to Pakistan under the treaty. As India attempts to gain full control over the Indus basin, let’s take a look at one of its tributaries, Chenab, which plays a key role in Pakistan for irrigation.
Chenab is crucial for Pakistan, particularly its Punjab province. It is a vital source of irrigation as it flows for about 700 kilometers through Pakistan. The river sustains nearly 80% of the country’s irrigated agriculture.
But where does Chenab originate from? The river forms from the confluence of two rivers Chandra and Bagha in Bara Lacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh. It then flows westwards through Jammu and Kashmir, covering over 500 kilometers, before finally entering into Pakistan. Since the river is the lifeline for Pakistan, the treaty allowed Islamabad gain major share of the river. India was given restricted usage for non-consumptive purposes, like run-of-the-river hydroelectric dams.
But these dams were not allowed to store all the Chenab water under the treaty. A certain level of water flow had to be maintained. With the treaty now kept in abeyance, India can now bypass the set rule for the water usage.
So, is there any mechanism to halt the water flow of the Chenab River?
Not under present circumstances. For this, India needs to build series of hydro dams in Kashmir and Himachal to effectively halt the water flow to Pakistan. And New Delhi has been doing exactly that. Currently, over two dozen have been planned, with a few hydropower projects already in operation.
So far, Chenab River has only two operational hydro power projects in Salaal and Baglihar, while more than seven are under construction in Jammu and Kashmir. Whereas in ecologically-fragile Himachal districts of Lahaul and Spiti, more than 20 projects are sanctioned or are under construction.
With over 70 major hydro projects in various stages of planning, construction and operation, India plans to harvest 13000 megawatts of electricity from Chenab. However, many of the projects that were commissioned have crossed the operational deadlines and are far from entering operation.
For instance, the Ratle project in Jammu and Kashmir was sanctioned in 2019. It was supposed to be operational in five years, but the project is far from reaching the final stage despite entering the 6th year of construction.
While India seeks to boost electricity generation by building more dams on the Chenab River and deprive Pakistan from accessing the rivers, experts believe that such hasty decisions increases the risk of cost over-run.
