• Source:JND
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A significant drop in water flow from India into Pakistan's Indus basin has triggered alarm across Pakistan’s agricultural and water management sectors. According to a report by CNN-News18, citing official Pakistani data, water releases from key dams have declined by 15 per cent compared to the same period last year, an alarming shortfall ahead of the vital Kharif crop season.

According to a report by NDTV, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) of Pakistan reported that on June 5, only 124,500 cusecs of water were released from the Indus basin into dams, compared to nearly 144,000 cusecs in 2023. This sharp decline has pushed several major reservoirs dangerously close to their dead storage levels, below which water cannot be released through gravity for irrigation or power generation.

Major Reservoirs Near Critical Levels

At Tarbela Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the water level dropped to 1,465 metres, just above its dead level of 1,402 metres. Chasma Dam in Punjab measured 644 metres, marginally above its dead level of 638 metres. The situation was dire at Mangla Dam in Mirpur, where the water level fell to 1,163 metres, close to its dead threshold of 1,050 metres.

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One of the most concerning developments came from Marala in Sialkot, where Chenab River’s mean discharge plummeted from 26,645 cusecs on May 28 to only 3,064 cusecs by June 5, a dramatic fall that has raised operational red flags.

Treaty Suspension Tied To Terror Attack

The escalating water crisis comes in the wake of India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a landmark agreement brokered by the World Bank in 1960. India’s decision to pause the treaty followed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people, including one Nepali national, were killed. India holds Pakistan-based terror outfits responsible for the attack.

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Despite four letters sent by Pakistan’s Water Resources Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza urging India to reconsider and resume cooperation under the treaty, New Delhi has remained silent. India is actively enhancing its canal systems and water storage infrastructure.

Officials from India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of External Affairs have acknowledged receiving Pakistan’s communications but maintain that no official response has been provided yet.