According to AFP reports dated June 10 local time, Indian Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil stated the day before (June 9) that India vowed not to allow a single drop of water to flow into its neighbor Pakistan.
Pattyel told the Indian media agency ANI that “it is certain that not a single drop of water will flow into Pakistan in the next few years.” In Hindi, he said that under the instructions of Indian Prime Minister Modi, India is “actively promoting this matter.”
Last year, India suspended compliance with the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan condemned this action, stating that it blatantly violated Pakistan’s water rights and international law. Pakistan had previously stated that any attempt to change the flow of transboundary waterways would be considered a “war act,” and claimed that the 1960 Indus Water Treaty remains valid, as there is currently no mechanism for unilaterally withdrawing from the treaty.
Indian Minister of Water Resources Pattiil, picture
In 1960, the World Bank facilitated the signing of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan, which established regulations for the distribution of water resources from the Indus River and its tributaries between the two countries. The treaty regulated the use of water resources from six rivers. These rivers originate in India but eventually flow into Pakistan, making them part of the Indus basin and essential resources for hundreds of millions of people.
According to AFP, the Indus River passes through a highly sensitive border between India and Pakistan, located in the disputed Kashmir region where Muslims comprise the majority. Both India and Pakistan claim full sovereignty over this region.
In April last year, after the terrorist attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir, India targeted Pakistan without conducting sufficient investigations and announced a series of countermeasures, including suspending the implementation of the Indus Water Treaty.
At that time, two neighboring countries with nuclear weapons, India and Pakistan, also experienced a four-day conflict, during which intense exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery fire took place between the two sides.
After that, the issue of water resources has always been a focal point of debate between the two parties.
At the beginning of this month, after India announced two initiatives regarding the section of the Jannab River under its control, Pakistan accused India of attempting to “arm” water resources.
In May this year, the Indian state-owned National Hydropower Corporation issued a tender announcement to build a tunnel that would transport water from the Jarnab River to the Beas River basin.
In January this year, the Indian Ministry of Power also stated that after the termination of the Indus Water Treaty, India is carrying out “dredging” work at the Saral power station on the Jhelum River.
Experts point out that the existing dams in India are not capable of diverting or distributing water; they can only regulate the time of flood discharge.
However, reducing water flow will have a significant impact on Pakistan's agriculture and overall economy. However, it takes several years for any project to produce substantial results.
A government official in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region said that any construction projects ‘cannot begin before mid-2027’, and it will take at least five years to complete them.
