Water level in the Chenab river in Jammu’s Akhnoor area fell below waist level for the first time in years, prompting many surprised locals to gather on the riverbed on Monday.
Sources said this followed the closure of all sluice gates of the Salal and Baglihar hydel power dams in Reasi and Ramban districts on Sunday morning.
While there is no official word on the development, sources said the gates were closed to store water in the reservoirs of both dams, which had earlier been emptied as part of the desiltation process on Friday and Saturday.
As reported by The Indian Express, following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has ratcheted up its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan – including curbing water flow through the Baglihar dam.
The gates of the sluice spillways on the Baglihar dam have been lowered to restrict water flow to Pakistan’s Punjab as a “short-term punitive action,” a senior official had told The Indian Express.
The Centre had earlier announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which has governed the use of the Indus river and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.
Built as run-of-the-river projects, the Baglihar and Salal dams enable India to regulate the timing of water release downstream. At the time of their construction, Pakistan had raised objections and sought the World Bank’s intervention. India had then agreed to keep the dam’s height at 143 metres, a decrease by 1.5 metres from the originally proposed height, thus reducing the water pondage capacity by 13.5 per cent.
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Sources said that though the dams cannot hold flow of Chenab waters to Pakistan for a long time, they provide India the capability to regulate timing of the release of water. While rabi harvesting, which is currently underway, does not require much water, farmers on both sides of the border do need it during paddy cultivation season, which will begin in one or two months.
“By doing this (closing the sluice gates), even if the choke is for a short while, we demonstrate that we will take coercive steps… The Chenab river water irrigates Punjab farmlands, and Pakistan needs to realise we mean to punish them on all fronts,” the official said.
On Monday morning, as the reservoir at Baglihar started filling up, officials opened some gates of the dam. Sources said some gates of the Salal hydel power project were also opened to allow the water to flow downstream towards Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police warned people against crossing the Chenab on foot as hundreds of villagers gathered there, including some in search of gold and silver ornaments and coins.
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Sensing danger, police parties fanned out to clear the people as the water level started rising again late afternoon. Police personnel were seen using the public address system, warning people against crossing the river on foot.
“There has been rain in the catchment area, and a sudden water-level increase is expected,” a police officer said.
“I have not seen the Chenab going almost dry in my lifetime,’’ said Mohan Singh Jamwal, a journalist in Akhnoor. The remnants of the Karan bridge, which was washed away in the floods on September 10, 1992, could be seen on the riverbed, he said.
The Karan bridge was constructed by Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh through a German company in 1933-34 and named after his son, Dr Karan Singh, after an old bridge over the river got washed away, he said.
With PTI inputs
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