In the wake of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil on Friday announced that the Centre has drawn up a comprehensive plan to stop Indian river water from flowing into Pakistan.
Following a high-level meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Paatil said that immediate measures are being taken to act on this decision.
"A roadmap was prepared in the meeting with Amit Shah. Three options were discussed in the meeting. The government is working on short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures so that not even a drop of water goes to Pakistan," Paatil told ET.
Emphasising urgency, he added, "Soon, desilting of rivers will be done to stop the water and divert it." He called the decision “historic” and “entirely just and in the national interest.” In a post on X, he stated, “We will ensure that not a single drop of the Indus River's water reaches Pakistan.”
Indus Waters Treaty suspension: Centre's short, mid & long-term strategies
Following the directive from the top leadership, the government is moving ahead with a three-stage plan—short-term, medium-term, and long-term—to stop water from Indian rivers from reaching Pakistan.
While detailed technical steps were not disclosed, the minister outlined desilting of rivers as one of the immediate priorities under the short-term plan. Desilting helps increase river capacity and can assist in redirecting flow away from international boundaries.
The minister indicated that the government is looking at infrastructural and policy interventions under the medium- and long-term strategies.
“The government is working... so that not even a drop of water goes to Pakistan,” Paatil reiterated.
These plans are part of the Centre’s larger move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, a decision taken after a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Omar Abdullah calls Indus Waters Treaty ‘unfair’ to J&K
Reacting to the government’s decision, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced strong support for the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it deeply unjust to the people of J&K.
“As far as J&K is concerned, we have never been in favour of the Indus Waters Treaty. We have always believed that the Indus Waters Treaty has been the most unfair document to the people of J&K,” he said.
Addressing the concerns raised after the Pahalgam terror attack, Abdullah added that he had spoken to the Union Home Minister about the safety of J&K residents living outside the Union Territory.
“An advisory will be issued by the Home Ministry and the Union Minister also spoke with the Chief Ministers of many states,” he said.
In its strongest diplomatic response yet, India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty until Pakistan ends support for cross-border terrorism.
The CCS meeting also decided to shut down the integrated Attari Check Post, halting cross-border land movement.
These measures come as part of India's broader response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which the government has linked to Pakistan-based groups.
The decision to suspend the treaty, originally brokered by the World Bank, is a fundamental shift in India’s water-sharing and security policies with its neighbour.
Pakistan warns of retaliation, calls treaty its ‘lifeline’
Pakistan reacted sharply to India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it the “lifeline” for 240 million of its citizens.
In an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan announced a slew of retaliatory actions.
These include closing its airspace to Indian airlines, shutting down the Wagah border crossing, suspending trade ties, and halting visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Indians—except for Sikh pilgrims. Pakistan also ordered military advisers at the Indian High Commission to leave by April 30.
In a statement issued after a National Security Committee meeting, Pakistan said, “Any attempt to divert water under the Indus Water Treaty would be considered an act of war... India should refrain from its reflexive blame game and cynical staged, managed exploitation of incidents like Pahalgam to further its narrow political agenda.”
The standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has entered a tense new phase, with water now emerging as a central point of contention in the wake of escalating cross-border tensions.
Following a high-level meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Paatil said that immediate measures are being taken to act on this decision.
"A roadmap was prepared in the meeting with Amit Shah. Three options were discussed in the meeting. The government is working on short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures so that not even a drop of water goes to Pakistan," Paatil told ET.
Emphasising urgency, he added, "Soon, desilting of rivers will be done to stop the water and divert it." He called the decision “historic” and “entirely just and in the national interest.” In a post on X, he stated, “We will ensure that not a single drop of the Indus River's water reaches Pakistan.”
Indus Waters Treaty suspension: Centre's short, mid & long-term strategies
Following the directive from the top leadership, the government is moving ahead with a three-stage plan—short-term, medium-term, and long-term—to stop water from Indian rivers from reaching Pakistan.
While detailed technical steps were not disclosed, the minister outlined desilting of rivers as one of the immediate priorities under the short-term plan. Desilting helps increase river capacity and can assist in redirecting flow away from international boundaries.
The minister indicated that the government is looking at infrastructural and policy interventions under the medium- and long-term strategies.
“The government is working... so that not even a drop of water goes to Pakistan,” Paatil reiterated.
These plans are part of the Centre’s larger move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, a decision taken after a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Omar Abdullah calls Indus Waters Treaty ‘unfair’ to J&K
Reacting to the government’s decision, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced strong support for the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it deeply unjust to the people of J&K.
“As far as J&K is concerned, we have never been in favour of the Indus Waters Treaty. We have always believed that the Indus Waters Treaty has been the most unfair document to the people of J&K,” he said.
Addressing the concerns raised after the Pahalgam terror attack, Abdullah added that he had spoken to the Union Home Minister about the safety of J&K residents living outside the Union Territory.
“An advisory will be issued by the Home Ministry and the Union Minister also spoke with the Chief Ministers of many states,” he said.
In its strongest diplomatic response yet, India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty until Pakistan ends support for cross-border terrorism.
The CCS meeting also decided to shut down the integrated Attari Check Post, halting cross-border land movement.
These measures come as part of India's broader response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which the government has linked to Pakistan-based groups.
The decision to suspend the treaty, originally brokered by the World Bank, is a fundamental shift in India’s water-sharing and security policies with its neighbour.
Pakistan warns of retaliation, calls treaty its ‘lifeline’
Pakistan reacted sharply to India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it the “lifeline” for 240 million of its citizens.
In an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan announced a slew of retaliatory actions.
These include closing its airspace to Indian airlines, shutting down the Wagah border crossing, suspending trade ties, and halting visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Indians—except for Sikh pilgrims. Pakistan also ordered military advisers at the Indian High Commission to leave by April 30.
In a statement issued after a National Security Committee meeting, Pakistan said, “Any attempt to divert water under the Indus Water Treaty would be considered an act of war... India should refrain from its reflexive blame game and cynical staged, managed exploitation of incidents like Pahalgam to further its narrow political agenda.”
The standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has entered a tense new phase, with water now emerging as a central point of contention in the wake of escalating cross-border tensions.
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