SRINAGAR, May 7 (Alliance News): India has accelerated the construction timelines for four major hydropower projects in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) after unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, raising fresh tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The projects — Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Ratle (850 MW) — are all located on the Chenab River, a crucial water source for Pakistan.
According to a government document reviewed by Reuters and corroborated by an industry source, these projects now have new start dates set months earlier than initially planned, with expected commissioning between June 2026 and August 2028.
Pakistan, which relies on the Indus river system for 80% of its agricultural output and hydroelectricity, has voiced serious concerns, calling any diversion of its river water “an act of war.”
Islamabad has also threatened legal action over the suspension of the IWT, which had survived decades of hostilities since it was signed in 1960.
The fresh escalation follows a deadly attack in Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, though Islamabad has denied any involvement.
In response, India suspended its obligations under the water-sharing treaty and initiated steps to tighten water control along the Chenab River.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has instructed multiple agencies, including those handling law enforcement and labour, to fast-track work on hydropower projects in the region. State-run NHPC, India’s largest hydropower developer, is spearheading the construction.
Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA) reported a drastic and sudden reduction in Chenab River inflows at the Marala headworks this week, warning of critical shortages for summer crops.
According to IRSA spokesperson Muhammad Khalid Idrees Rana, the flow dropped from 31,000 cusecs on Sunday to just 3,100 cusecs on Monday before returning to 25,000 cusecs — swings blamed on India’s hydro operations.
The Ratle project remains a key point of contention and is already under dispute at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague over design specifications, including turbine features and water storage levels.
Indian officials have hinted at future expansions, with the power ministry reportedly pushing for fast-tracking up to seven hydro projects totaling 7 gigawatts and costing roughly Rs400 billion.
An unnamed source involved in the discussions said the fast-tracking could signal broader ambitions by New Delhi to assert greater control over the western rivers previously regulated under the treaty.
India’s water minister has previously vowed that “not a drop” of Indus water will reach Pakistan, underscoring Modi’s administration’s aggressive posture.
However, experts warn that while India cannot completely block the flow under existing infrastructure, its ability to manipulate water release patterns could disrupt Pakistan’s irrigation systems.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to mount along the Line of Control (LoC), with nightly cross-border firing reported for the past two weeks.
