India restricts water flow to Pakistan via Baglihar dam on river Chenab

India has restricted the water flow from the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River to Pakistan, as ties between neighbouring India and Pakistan nosedived following a militant attack in Pahalgam, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian media reported on Monday.

According to media reports, India is also considering taking similar measures at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River.

In Pakistan, a severe and sudden drop in the Chenab River’s water flow at Head Marala has been recorded over the past two days, a media outlet reported on Monday, citing officials.

According to the Executive Engineer (XEN) Irrigation, the current inflow at Head Marala is recorded at 10,889 cusecs, while the outflow stands at 9,020 cusecs. In stark contrast, the inflow just two days ago was 87,282 cusecs, highlighting a dramatic decline of over 85%.

The hydroelectric dams, Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu, and Kishanganga in north Kashmir, allow India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported, quoting sources familiar with the matter.

The Baglihar Dam has long been a point of contention between the two neighbours, with Pakistan having sought World Bank arbitration in the past. Similarly, the Kishanganga Dam has come under legal and diplomatic scrutiny, particularly amid concerns about its effects on the Neelum River, a tributary of the Jhelum.

Following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Ilegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 people, New Delhi linked Islamabad to the attack without providing any evidence and took a flurry of punitive measures, including suspending the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to downgrade ties.

In response to India’s water aggression, Pakistan warned that “any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... will be considered as an act of war.”

With claims from India’s Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil not to allow “a single drop of water” to the neighbouring country from the Indus rivers, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has warned that Pakistan will not allow even a single drop of its rightful share of water to be compromised.

“India has no authority to unilaterally suspend or terminate the treaty,” Dar said while speaking at the Regional Dialogue 2025 event, reaffirming Pakistan’s resolve to safeguard its rights under the agreement.

While strongly condemning India’s suspension of the IWT, he called it a gross violation of international law.

Highlighting Islamabad’s preparedness and commitment to regional peace, the Deputy PM also confirmed that Pakistan successfully thwarted an Indian misadventure on the night of April 29–30.