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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Crops hit, dam water at dead levels: How Pakistan is suffering after Indus Waters Treaty suspension
Pakistan is parched. India's move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty has caused a crisis in the neighbouring country — water flow from the Indus River System has dropped almost 20 per cent. This has affected the kharif crop season, which will negatively impact the beleaguered nation's economy read more Camels sit on the dry riverbed of the Indus River, with the Kotri Barrage in the background, in Jamshoro, Pakistan. File image/Reuters Pakistan is drying up, quite literally. Following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people lost their lives, India had taken the harsh but just step of placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri declaring that the agreement would remain 'in abeyance' until Pakistan took 'credible and irrevocable' steps to cease its support for cross-border terrorism. At the time, many questioned if the move would hurt Pakistan. And the effects of India's decision is now being seen and felt in the neighbouring country — as river waters have reached 'dead' levels, imperilling Pakistan's kharif season. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's waters at dead levels Official data reveals that the total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan is almost 20 per cent down compared to same date last year. In the Sindh region, the water flow stood at 1,33,000, cusecs compared to 1,70,000 cusecs last year. Similarly, in Pakistan's Punjab region, the water flow stood at 1,10,500 cusecs, down 20 per cent from 1,30,800 cusecs on June 20 last year. Even in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, the water flow is down to 2,600 cusecs on June 20 from 2,900 cusecs on the same day last year. And this has been an ongoing situation since India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. For instance, on June 16, the 'Daily Water Situation' report released by the Pakistan government's Indus River System Authority (IRSA) showed the total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan's Sindh province was 1.33 lakh cusecs against 1.6 lakh on the same day last year — a drop of 16.87 per cent. Furthermore, the water levels at the two major reservoirs in Pakistan — Tarbela on the Indus and Mangla on the Jhelum — have dropped to dead storage. Fishermen clear a fishing net in the water on the partially dried up riverbed of the Indus River in Hyderabad, Pakistan. The total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan is almost 20 per cent down compared to same date last year. File image/Reuters Impact on Pakistan But what does it exactly mean for Pakistan's rivers to reach dead levels and how will it hurt Pakistan? Dead storage levels refers to the water volume stored below the lowest outlet level, essentially unusable for typical water supply purposes. This limits its use for irrigation or drinking. Pakistan's water in reservoirs reaching dead levels will have a significant impact on the country's kharif (summer crops) sowing season. In fact, an India Today report states that kharif farming has already witnessed a dip of more than 20 per cent owing to receiving 1.14 lakh cusecs of water as opposed to 1.43 lakh cusecs a day last year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The production of kharif crops, namely cotton and maize, has declined by over 30 per cent and 15 per cent in Pakistan, respectively. The production of wheat has also dropped by around nine per cent owing to the water shortage in the country. This, in turn, will hurt an already beleaguered Pakistani economy that is heavily reliant on agriculture. Pakistan's agricultural sector contributes 23 per cent to the country's national income and with production of kharif crops dropping, it will hurt Pakistan's bottomline. Experts note that the situation might improve once the monsoon rains arrive but until then Pakistan will be quenched for thirst. Parched Pakistan writes to India And staring at a water crisis has led Pakistan to write not one but four letters to India, asking it to reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty that was first signed in 1960. Multiple news reports citing sources have said that the secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, has written four letters to India urging it to reconsider its decision to stop the Indus Waters Treaty. The sources state that India's Jal Shakti Ministry has sent all the four letters from Pakistan to the Ministry of External Affairs. And such dire are the circumstances that Pakistan also requested the World Bank , which brokered the deal, to intervene in the matter. However, the World Bank refused to step into the issue. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Supporters of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), carry flags and banners, during a protest against the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, in Karachi, Pakistan. File image/Reuters Significance of Indus Waters Treaty and India's pause on it Pakistan's water woes arose when India announced that it was putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Signed in September 1960, the agreement governed the allocation of water from the Indus River system between the two countries. Under the arrangement, India was granted rights to the Eastern Rivers: the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, while Pakistan received the Western Rivers: the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Approximately 70 per cent of the water in the system was allotted to Pakistan. Under the IWT, India was obligated to allow the flow of Western Rivers to Pakistan, with limited rights for agriculture, transport, and hydroelectric projects that do not obstruct river flow. New Delhi's decision to pause the treaty caused much outrage in Pakistan with Islamabad deeming the action to be 'an act of war', adding that it was prepared to respond, 'with full force across the complete spectrum of national power'. And on June 17, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was quoted as telling German broadcaster DW Urdu that any attempt by India to block Pakistan's water supply would be seen as an existential threat, leaving Pakistan with no option but war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Following India's decision to pause the treaty, New Delhi is also conducting a feasibility study for constructing a 113 km-long canal for redirecting surplus flow from the three western rivers of the Indus water system to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. With inputs from agencies
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Indus Water Flow From India To Pakistan's Sindh Drops 17%, Crops Hit
New Delhi: The sowing of Kharif, or monsoonal, crops in Pakistan is taking a hit because of a drop in water from the Indus River System being released from India following the suspension of the water-sharing treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack, a report by Islamabad has indicated. The latest "Daily Water Situation" Report released by the Pakistan government's Indus River System Authority (IRSA) shows the total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan's Sindh province on June 16 this year was 1.33 lakh cusecs against 1.6 lakh on the same day last year - a drop of 16.87%. The water released from the Indus River System to the Punjab province is also slightly less on the same date this year - 1.26 lakh cusecs against 1.29 lakh last year, which represents a 2.25% reduction. The report indicates that there is less water left in the rivers and reservoirs connected to the Indus River System in Pakistan at a time when the sowing of Kharif crops is on. This is causing problems for farmers in the country and, with the monsoon in the country still at least two weeks away, the crisis is only expected to deepen. Flood Preparedness Hit? After suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, India has also stopped sharing information about the water level of the rivers connected to the Indus River System with Pakistan. So, when the water level of the rivers connected to the Indus River System increases in India, Pakistan, which is downstream, may find itself unprepared if there is flooding. Treaty Details The Indus Waters Treaty, which was signed in 1960 and remained in place since then despite tensions between the countries, was suspended by India after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. As part of the treaty, which was brokered by the World Bank, India has full right over the three eastern rivers in the Indus system - Ravi, Beas and Sutlej - while Pakistan got access to around 135 million acre feet (MAF) of water from the three Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab - all of which flow downstream to the country from India. While Pakistan has objected to the treaty's suspension, India has repeatedly said that "blood and water cannot flow together".
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Pakistan nears ‘dead water' as Indian river inflows fall sharply
Pakistan is facing a significant water crisis. The flow of water from Indian rivers is decreasing. Pakistan is discharging more water than it receives. This raises concerns about drinking water and irrigation. India's dam desilting may worsen the situation. Key provinces like Punjab and Sindh are heavily affected. Water levels in major dams are nearing critical levels. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pakistan is grappling with a significant water crisis as the flow volume from Indian rivers, the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, continues to dwindle, TOI has reported. This alarming trend has forced Pakistan to discharge more water than it receives, raising concerns about the sustainability of its drinking water and irrigation fluctuations in water flow are typical during the pre-monsoon season, experts warn that the situation may worsen in the coming weeks. India's regular desilting and flushing of dams in Jammu & Kashmir, aimed at increasing its own storage capacity, is expected to exacerbate the reduction in water flow towards to the latest daily water situation report from Pakistan's Indus River System Authority (IRSA), as reported by TOI, the country faced a critical imbalance on Wednesday, discharging a staggering 11,180 cusecs more water than the inflow. The collective outflow from monitoring stations, Tarbela on the Indus, Mangla on the Jhelum, Marala on the Chenab, and Nowshera on the Kabul river, totalled 2,52,791 cusecs, while the inflow stood at only 2,41,611 discrepancy in water management is particularly concerning for the key provinces of Punjab and Sindh, which rely heavily on the western rivers of the Indus system. On the same day, Punjab province, where kharif farming is set to commence, received only 1,14,600 cusecs of water, down 20% from the 1,43,600 cusecs it received on the same day last Pakistan still nearly a month away from monsoon rains, the situation is becoming increasingly dire. The water levels in the nation's two primary dams, Mangla on the Jhelum and Tarbela on the Indus, are alarmingly close to their 'dead levels', meaning there are no outlets to drain water from the reservoirs by gravity below this threshold. An official as quoted by TOI said, 'This means further decrease in water flow from the Indian side may leave Pakistan with few options to facilitate farming operations before the arrival of the monsoon.'Last month, the IRSA advisory committee raised alarms about the impending crisis, declaring a 21% overall shortage for the early kharif season (May 1-June 10) due to a 'sudden decrease' in inflows from the Chenab at Marala, which they attributed to 'short supply by India.' They further predicted a 7% shortage in the late kharif season (June 11-September 30).Although the situation is expected to improve with the onset of the monsoon next month, the absence of water flow data from India, following the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April, poses additional challenges for Pakistan's authorities in regulating water India is under no obligation to share this critical data, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position as it navigates this water crisis.(With inputs from TOI)
India Today
12-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Crops hit, dams at dead level: Pak water crisis deepens after India's Indus move
Pakistan is facing a severe water crisis, with the agricultural industry looking at deeper impacts, in the aftermath of India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre in which Islamabad-backed terrorists gunned down 26 people, mostly Indus River System Authority (IRSA) reported discharging 11,180 cusecs of additional water than it received on Wednesday, worsening the water crisis. Furthermore, the water levels at the two major reservoirs in Pakistan - Tarbela on the Indus and Mangla on the Jhelum - have dropped to dead storage, thereby indicating the crisis will reservoir water reaching its dead storage levels also means that it cannot be drained out by gravity, thus limiting its use for irrigation or drinking. The water crisis is even stronger in the Punjab province, where the kharif season has started. The kharif farming has witnessed a dip of more than 20 per cent owing to receiving 1.14 lakh cusecs of water as opposed to 1.43 lakh cusecs a day last year. The production of kharif crops - cotton and maize - has declined by over 30 per cent and 15 per cent in Pakistan, respectively. The production of wheat - a rabi crop - has also dropped by around 9 per cent owing to the water shortage in the the agricultural industry, especially the kharif outputs impacted, its overall share in Pakistan's GDP dipped to 23.54 per cent in fiscal 2025 from 24.03 per cent the previous financial situation is expected to deteriorate in the upcoming weeks, especially as India undertakes regular desilting and flushing its dams in Jammu and Kashmir to enhance its own storage capacity. Additionally, with the monsoon still weeks away, IRSA has warned of a 21 per cent water shortage in the early kharif season and 7 per cent towards the has been relentless in its efforts to convince India to reinstate the Indus treaty. Last week, India Today reported that Islamabad wrote as many as four letters to Delhi, urging the latter to reconsider its decision to stop the treaty before Operation Sindoor. Sources told India Today TV that Pakistan also requested the World Bank, which brokered the deal, to intervene in the matter. However, the global body refused to mediate in the Indus Waters Treaty allocates the eastern rivers - Ravi, Beas and Sutlej - to India and the western ones, such as Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, to Pakistan. Responding to the water move last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly said that water and blood cannot flow is also strengthening its water infrastructure, aimed at bettering its domestic storage and strategic hold over the shared waters. This includes new canal projects connecting Beas to Ganga and Indus to Reel IN THIS STORY#Operation Sindoor#India-Pakistan
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First Post
12-06-2025
- Climate
- First Post
Declining river flow from India brings key Pakistani dams to 'dead level' in Kharif season: Report
A sharp drop in river flow from India has brought key Pakistani dams to 'dead level', impacting water supply for drinking and irrigation just as the kharif season begins. read more The Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban after India cut the flow of water through the dam on the Chenab river following suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. PTI A steady decline in the flow of western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — from India is forcing Pakistan to release more water than it receives, affecting both drinking water and irrigation needs. As a result, water levels at key Pakistani dams have reached the 'dead level'. While such a drop is typical before the monsoon, the situation could worsen as India continues to flush and desilt its dams in Jammu & Kashmir to increase its own storage capacity, further reducing the downstream flow. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Pakistan's Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the country released 11,180 cusecs more water than it received on Wednesday. The total outflow from key rivers stood at 2,52,791 cusecs, while the inflow was only 2,41,611 cusecs. This imbalance is likely to impact water availability in Punjab and Sindh, which rely heavily on the Indus system. On the same day, Punjab province received 1,14,600 cusecs of water — a 20 per cent decline from 1,43,600 cusecs on the same date last year, just as the kharif farming season begins. This is a developing story.
