India halts water flow to Pakistan amid escalating tensions

AGENCY: In a move signaling rising tensions with Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared that rivers originating in India would now be preserved and utilized solely for India’s benefit, implying a significant policy shift in transboundary water sharing.

“From now on, India’s water will flow for India’s benefit. It will be conserved for our development,” Modi stated during a public address, without directly naming Pakistan.

The announcement comes just two weeks after India suspended the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following a deadly attack in India-administered Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 tourists.

India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism—an allegation Islamabad firmly denies.

In response to the Kashmir attack, Indian forces carried out missile strikes on several locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir late Tuesday night.

According to Pakistan’s military, the strikes resulted in civilian casualties, while India reported that at least 10 of its citizens were killed by Pakistani shelling.

The rivers originating in India provide up to 80% of irrigation water to Pakistan’s agricultural heartland, making any disruption potentially devastating for Pakistan’s economy. Pakistani leaders have previously warned that any move to block water would be considered an “act of war.”

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of six rivers in the Indus basin between the two nations.

Despite several military conflicts over the decades, the treaty had remained largely intact and was often cited as a model of cross-border water cooperation.

Modi’s decision to suspend the treaty marks a drastic shift.

However, he has not yet outlined a detailed plan for how India intends to use the diverted water.

Experts warn that constructing the necessary dams, reservoirs, and water infrastructure will require significant time and investment.

As tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors reach new heights, the United States has renewed calls for peace and restraint. “We urge both India and Pakistan to pursue responsible dialogue and seek lasting peace and regional stability,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The situation remains volatile, and the international community is closely monitoring developments that could have far-reaching geopolitical consequences.