# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indus Treaty on Hold Until Pakistan Ends Terror Support: India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MEA reiterates “water and blood can’t flow together”; Kashmir talks only about Pakistan vacating occupied territory

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's been a month since India put the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on hold following the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. So, how is this suspension really affecting Pakistan?

River flow data and geospatial evidence suggest that the government has made flushing of dams a regular exercise in the last month.

India Today's Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team has identified a clear pattern at India's dams on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers: filling the reservoirs to its capacity, then force-flushing silt to clear them out. This practice not only clears sediment but also boosts hydroelectric power generation.

We reviewed satellite images and water inflow data over 30 days at the last dam in India and the first in Pakistan on Chenab and Jhelum rivers. The idea is to detect any shift in water management. For instance, if India opens the sluice gates of a dam, the water level downstream in Pakistan should also rise.

Water inflow data from Pakistan's Indus River System Authority (IRSA) for the Marala Dam - the first regulation point on the Chenab after it enters Pakistan - shows a sharp drop in water levels followed by a sudden spike.

The outflow of water at Marala Dam - the rate at which water is released from the dam - stood at 14,800 cusecs when IWT was suspended , dropped to 8,087 cusecs on May 2, surged to 55,148 cusecs on May 3, and then fell sharply to just 3,761 cusecs by May 6. The outflow spiked again to 18,331 cusecs on May 9, before dropping to 3,470 cusecs by May 16 and then peaked to 20,648 on May 20.

Satellite images of the Baglihar Dam on the Indian side show flushing operations underway on May 1, matching both news reports and a visible change in river water colour on the imagery indicating mud and sediments. Over the next 10 days, the dam's gates remained closed until a sudden release on May 11. A similar pattern was observed the following week.

Reservoir flushing, typically done annually, clears sediment buildup to restore storage capacity, boost turbine efficiency, and extend the life of hydroelectric plants.

Before the suspension of the IWT, Pakistan routinely objected to this practice, as the flushing of silt and sediments not only increases downstream flow but can also potentially block irrigation canals. Conversely, refilling the reservoir by closing the gates can decrease the river water flow downstream for a short period.

While there are no drastic fluctuations in water levels at Pakistan's Mangla dam on the Jhelum river, data indicates periods of increased flow, likely resulting from upstream flushing activities by Indian authorities.

Satellite images from the European Space Agency show the gates of the Kishanganga dam - the first major dam on the Jhelum's tributary - fully open on April 29. Over the next week, only one gate remained open until it was finally closed on May 21. Kishanganga, a run-of-the-river hydroelectric project, has a limited reservoir capacity of just 18.8 million cubic meters.

No clear pattern was observed over the month on the Indus River, as India currently has no operational storage dams on this stretch.

LONG-TERM PLANS

As part of long-term plans to utilise the waters of the rivers covered under the IWT, four additional power plants are proposed, which will allow India to utilise more water from the western rivers through associated reservoirs.

The roadmap also outlines the revival of the long-stalled Tulbul navigation project on the Jhelum, enhancements to Wular Lake and the Jhelum river for improved flood control, lift irrigation projects to accelerate water utilisation, and the optimised use of the Ranbir and Pratap canals to ensure greater water availability for the Jammu region.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has written to India expressing its willingness to restart dialogue regarding renegotiating the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which India has kept in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack. However, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has firmly stated that the suspension will remain in place "until Pakistan credibly and irreversibly ends cross-border terrorism."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
india pakistan news pahalgam attack ceasefire indus water treaty water flow dam flushing satellite photo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
One month since Indus Waters Treaty suspension: What satellite images reveal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, satellite and flow data show India has intensified dam flushing operations, causing fluctuating water flows into Pakistan.

# data[].attributes.body
It is very important to consider different perspectives on a topic to get the full picture and not let the perspective of one article decide the reader's opinion on the topic. For example, when looking at the Indus Water Treaty, India and Pakistan both have very different perspectives on what happened and why it happened. Pakistan views the broken treaty as a humanitarian crisis and shares quotes from Pakistani citizens that encapsulate their fears while also claiming to have had no part in the terror attack that caused India to break the treaty (Baloch). India's perspective, however, talks about the terrorist event that led to them breaking the treaty and states that India will not restore it until Pakistan ends its support of the events (“Indus Treaty on Hold”). A neutral source was able to share the perspectives of both countries without including any bias or trying to sway the reader to support one side or the other (Saha). These articles show how important it is to find a neutral source and explore the perspectives of both sides to understand the full picture of the event, and so the audience is able to form their own opinion on which side they support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In July 2023, Ali Haider Dogar was one of tens of thousands of farmers in central-eastern Pakistan whose crops were submerged after India released water from the Sutlej River into Pakistan in an attempt to mitigate flash floods in its own northern regions.

Dogar, whose family's losses in 2023 ran to tens of thousands of pounds, said every farmer in his village in Punjab was fearing the worst in the comings months after India suspended the Indus waters treaty, following a deadly attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir that India has pinned on Pakistan.

Islamabad denies any involvement in the attack, in which 26 people were killed. As well as suspending the treaty, Delhi has suspended trade with Pakistan, summoned and expelled its diplomats, and suspended visas for Pakistanis. Pakistan has also suspended all trade with India and closed its airspace to Indian airlines.

The Indus treaty governs the distribution and use of waters from the Indus River and its tributaries, which feed 80% of Pakistan's irrigated agriculture and its hydropower. Dogar said its suspension had "sent shivers down our spines".

"We fear India can cause flash floods or stop water destined for our crops," he said. "India can starve us. Because now India won't be responsible to share any data about flash floods or dam projects with Pakistan."

For decades, India has accused Pakistan of backing the violent separatist insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad condemned the recent attack and called allegations of its involvement "baseless".

Authorities in Islamabad have described the suspension of the water treaty as "an act of war".

Teachers and students from Karachi University in Pakistan protesting on Monday. Photograph: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images

When both countries came into being as a result of partition in 1947, the source rivers of the Indus basin were all in India. Years of negotiation followed, before the treaty was brokered by the World Bank in 1960, giving control of the eastern tributaries to India and the western tributaries to Pakistan. The treaty has survived three wars between the nuclear rivals and is considered one of the world's most successful water-sharing endeavours.

Pakistan has an agrarian economy and a breadbasket that is dependent on the treaty. "Water is our life. We can't compromise on it," said Khalid Khokhar, president of the Farmers' Association. "If they do it, this is a war. My ancestors were farmers as well. In times of crises the farmers sell the family's jewellery, borrow money and do anything possible for farming. The water level is already low because of less rain and we are already very worried. There should be no politics on water. It is our lifeline."

Government officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, because the treaty has allowed it to build only hydropower plants without significant storage or dams on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan.

"In the short term, there may not be any direct practical implication," Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the India-based South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, told Agence France-Presse at the weekend. "Any safe infrastructure to divert water, beyond what is happening now, takes years, mostly more than a decade".

India's existing dams do not have the capacity to block or divert water. "India cannot immediately stop the flow of these rivers, as it is technically unfeasible and economically not viable," said Naseer Memon, a Pakistani water expert. But Memon warned of "disastrous" consequences if Delhi started to ignore its obligations to inform authorities in Pakistan about development on the rivers in the future. "This would be a humanitarian crisis. Millions of lives would be at stake."

India's suspension letter sent to Pakistan said there had been "fundamental changes to the circumstances" since the deal was signed, including "population dynamics" as well as a "need to accelerate the development of clean energy".

The precious resource is being sucked up by increasing populations and surging agricultural requirements, as well as hydropower projects fuelled by rising energy needs.

A senior Pakistani security official, requesting anonymity, claimed that India had been planning for some time to withdraw from the treaty and was using the Kashmir attack as an excuse. "We can't sit and allow India to do it," the official said. "The international community must play its role."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'India can starve us': farmers in Pakistan decry suspension of crucial water treaty

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Indus treaty, which had survived 65 years and three wars between countries, has been paused after Kashmir attack

# data[].attributes.body
Saha, Bidisha. “One Month since Indus Waters Treaty Suspension: What Satellite Images Reveal.” India Today, 23 May 2025, www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-pakistan-news-pahalgam-attack-ceasefire-indus-water-treaty-water-flow-dam-flushing-satellite-photo-2729373-2025-05-23. Accessed 3 June 2025.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Audrey Malone citations Indu Water Treaty

# data[].attributes.body
Baloch, Shah Meer. “India Can Starve Us”: Farmers in Pakistan Decry Suspension of Crucial Water Treaty.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 29 Apr. 2025, www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/29/farmers-pakistan-indus-waters-treaty-india. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Audrey Malone citations Indu Water Treaty

# data[].attributes.body
DC Correspondent. “Indus Treaty on Hold until Pakistan Ends Terror Support: India.” Deccanchronicle.com, Deccan Chronicle, 22 May 2025, www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/indus-treaty-on-hold-until-pakistan-ends-terror-supportindia-1880638. Accessed 3 June 2025.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Audrey Malone citations Indu Water Treaty

# data[].attributes.body
The source has an unbiased perspective on the event and the aftermath of the broken treaty. It avoids using specific word choice to make the audience lean towards a certain side and just states events without the author's point of view. The article describes both what Pakistan did to cause India to break the treaty and the aftermath on Pakistan while using accurate and not cherry picked graphs to show water levels in Pakistan.

# data[].attributes.body
The author of the source is Shah Meer Baloch, who is a journalist for the Guardian who specifically covers Pakistan. The author is very specific about word choice, especially in the headline, to make the reader feel empathetic towards the citizens in Pakistan dealing with the repercussions of this broken treaty. The headline does not give any reason why the treaty was broken, but just that it was "crucial" and that Pakistani citizens are fearing for their lives.

# data[].attributes.body
The Deccan Chronicle is an India based e-Paper that specifically writes from Indias perspective. By using the word "terror" when describing the event that led up to the broken treaty, it aims to justify their actions to the public. The way they talk about the event makes the reader more inclined to see where India was coming from when they broke the treaty.

# data[].attributes.body
The audience of this source is most likely people in India, as this article was published on India today. While being published in India today, the article does not sway its opinion towards India but stays neutral to help the audience understand the perspectives of both countries.

# data[].attributes.body
The target audience for this article is people worldwide. This article is trying to gain support for Pakistan and make people feel sorry for the Pakistani citizens dealing with the repercussions of this broken treaty.

# data[].attributes.body
This article is meant to share India's side and why India decided to break the treaty. This article aims to make people worldwide understand India's point of view and not view India as villains for breaking the treaty.

# data[].attributes.body
The source does not have a main argument but tells both sides of the story without trying to sway the audience a certain way. The article can acknowledge what India did to deserve this flooding and drought, while also talking about the impacts of the flood and drought on Pakistani citizens and Pakistan's land. The article understands the perspective of both countries and the plans each country has to fix this issue.

# data[].attributes.body
The source argues that Pakistan had no part in the attack on the Indians. This article refers to this broken treaty as a "humanitarian crisis" and that it is risking the lives of many of their citizens. The article uses quotes from citizens that show their fear and the potential effects this flooding and suspension of water could cause. The article mentions that citizens of Pakistan rely on the river for food, water, and transportation, and that they may not be able to live without it.

# data[].attributes.body
The source believes that the treaty was broken because of Pakistan's terror attacks. The article states that water and blood should not run together. It says that until Pakistan ends their support of this terrorism India will continue to withhold water from Pakistan.