Pakistan has recorded a significant decrease in the waters of the Chenab river, after India held the Indus treaty in abeyance and the closure of the gates of Baglihar and Salal dams.
According to Pakistan news site Dawn News, the water flows in the Chenab, recorded at the Marala headworks, decreased from up to 35,000 cusecs on Sunday to about 3,100 cusecs on Monday morning.
“They have almost blocked the River Chenab flows to downstream (Pakistan) after they (Indian authorities) took the decision on Sunday,” a senior official of Pakistan’s Punjab irrigation department confirmed on Monday to Dawn.
Separately, a meeting of the advisory committee of the Indus River System Authority held in Islamabad on Mondy also expressed concerns over the unilateral Indian decision that would cause additional shortages to Kharif crops, already facing an estimated 21 percent shortfall.
The water regulator declared an overall shortage of 21pc for the remaining early Kharif season in case supplies in River Chenab remained normal. However, the situation would be monitored on a daily basis and if the decrease continues, the shortages would be revisited accordingly, Dawn News reported.
Pakistan’s depends on these river system to supply irrigation for a majority of their agriculture.
Meanwhile, the latest pictures from the Reasi region in Jammu and Kashmir showed all gates of Salal Dam on Chenab River as being closed. Visuals from Ramban also showed all gates of Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project Dam on Chenab River as being closed.
The move has found strong support from the residents of the region. They have condemned Pakistan’s actions, warning that continued provocation could lead to war and reiterating support for India’s recent measures.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, the Indian government took various measures against Pakistan.
The steps include suspending the Indus Water Treaty signed between both countries in 1960. Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave India within a week.
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to taking strong action against terrorism and has vowed to ensure that the perpetrators and masterminds of the Pahalgam attack face severe punishment.
