The water level in the River Chenab at Marala has risen following a marked reduction witnessed at the site between December 10 and December 16.During the aforementioned period, the water level at the site was at its lowest in the last 10 years. Pakistan has said that India first emptied the Baglihar Dam and then refilled it. It has further said that under the Indus Waters Treaty, India cannot release the water it has stored. Later, the country also took up the matter with India’s Indus Water Commissioner. 

However, on December 17, water level in the river began to rise again and on December 19, it became normal. According to the Punjab Irrigation Department, presently the flow of water in the river is between 4,505 cusecs and 6,494 cusecs, and that there will be a close monitoring of the water level in future. On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar had said that attempts by India to weaponize water threatened peace and stability in South Asia, besides being a threat to Pakistan’s food security. 

Ishaq Dar held an urgent briefing for foreign diplomats in Islamabad, during which the Foreign Minister maintained that India had consistently attempted to undermine the Indus Waters Treaty in a systemic manner  The foreign minister said “We witnessed in April this year India’s unilateral abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty … But what we are witnessing now is material breaches by India that strike at the heart of the Indus Waters Treaty with escalating consequences both for regional stability and sanctity of international law.” 

On Thursday, the Pakistan Foreign Office said it had sought a clarification from India via a letter over a sudden variation in the Chenab River’s water flow. Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan would not compromise on its water rights as Indian actions posed a serious threat to peace and stability in South Asia. He made it crystal clear that stopping or diverting water will amount to war crimes. “India’s recent move is a clear example of using water as a weapon,” he added. India’s avoidance of conflict resolution is a violation of international law, the minister said and added.

“We have observed unusual, abrupt variations in the flow of the Chenab River twice this year. These were observed from April 30 to May 21 and Dec 7 to Dec 15. These variations in water flow are of extreme concern to Pakistan as they point to the unilateral release of water by India into the Chenab River. India has released this water without any prior notification or any data or information sharing with Pakistan as required under the treaty.” Dar said “India’s manipulation of water has prompted our Indus water commissioner to write a letter to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification on the matter as provided in the Indus Waters Treaty.” 

He further said that India’s most recent action clearly exemplifies the weaponization of water to which Pakistan has been consistently drawing attention of the international community. “India’s manipulation of water at a critical time of our agricultural cycle directly threatens the life and livelihood as well as the food and economic security of our citizens,” he stressed. Ishaq Dar said Pakistan expected India to respond to the queries raised by the country’s Indus water commissioner, refrain from any unilateral manipulation of river flows, and fulfil all its obligations in letter and spirit under the Indus Waters Treaty provisions.

“Recent violations of the treaty by India are just one example. India has consistently attempted to undermine the treaty in a systemic manner,” he added. The minister said India‘s construction of hydropower projects such as Kishanganga and Ratle involved design features that violated the treaty’s technical specifications. “India continues to build illegal dams in sheer disregard of the treaty obligations to impose fait accompli.

With the building of dams, Indian capacity to store and manipulate water is also increasing which endangers Pakistan’s security, economy, and the livelihood of 240 million people,” he elaborated. Dar said India had halted sharing information, hydrological data, and joint oversight required by the treaty, which had exposed Pakistan to floods and droughts. “Such illegal and irresponsible Indian actions have all the potential to trigger a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan.

“If India is allowed to violate the treaty and obligations under the treaty with impunity, we are setting a very dangerous precedent,” he added. On the other hand, Indus Water Commissioner Mehr Ali Shah reaffirmed that India had no legal justification for blocking or altering river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty. He told foreign diplomats that India’s repeated interference with the Chenab River violated international law and threatened Pakistan’s water security.

“Pakistan has acted responsibly at all times. India cannot unilaterally modify river flows,” he said. Mehr stressed the need for international attention to prevent further disputes and emphasized Pakistan’s adherence to treaty obligations, which included data sharing and joint monitoring. The commissioner highlighted three recent instances of India altering river flows and warned that these actions endangered agriculture, food security, and regional stability.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)