India has released a substantial volume of water into the Chenab River from the Salal and Baglihar dams in Jammu and Kashmir, as per a report by The Times of India. This has led to a sharp increase in downstream water levels and has raised alarms in Pakistan. The move follows heightened regional tensions after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India in the fallout of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir | Latest visuals from Reasi's Salal Dam, built on the Chenab River; several gates of the dam are seen open.
(Visuals shot at 6:30 am) pic.twitter.com/48taKYUYCw
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2025
Salal and Baglidam dam gates were opened
A latest video shared by ANI shows that several gates of the Reasi’s Salal dam, which is built on the Chenab River, were opened. Sources of The Times of India confirmed that two gates of the Salal Dam were opened to be open from around 8:30 to 4:30 PM on Friday. The reason behind the opening of the gates was to regulate the rising water levels caused by heavy rainfall. As the gates of Salal and the two gates of Baglihar dams were opened, it significantly increased the water flow into the Chenab.
The unexpected water led to the Cenab River’s flow at Head Marala in Pakistan to surge from around 3,100 cusecs to 28,000 cusecs. Flood warnings across low-lying regions of Punjab have been triggered. Authorities in Pakistan were reportedly not informed in advance, leading the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to raise their objections to the breach of protocols. Emergency response teams were deployed and in the affected Pakistani districts, as per media reports.
It was signed in 1960, the Indus Water Treaty governs water sharing rights between the two countries, assigning the Chenab and other western rivers to Pakistan. India’s decision to suspend the treaty and to release water have been viewed by Pakistani officials and experts as a move to weaponize water amid diplomatic pressure.
On Saturday, India and Pakistan agreed to stop all forms of military engagement across land, sea, and air following high-level talks between the two countries’ Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs). As per sources of PTI from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the ceasefire agreement was finalised on Saturday, does not include any preconditions and follow-up commitments, and the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance.