In the shadow of strained ties between neighbors, India is on the verge of reshaping the flow of shared rivers, according to NDTV. As summer approaches, the completion of the Shahpur Kandi dam by March 31, 2026, promises to redirect surplus waters from the Ravi River, ending decades of unused flows into Pakistan. This move, accelerated by the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, highlights ongoing tensions over vital resources that sustain millions.
The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, once divided the Indus basin’s rivers: India controls the eastern trio Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej while Pakistan relies on the western ones Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. But on April 23, 2025, a day after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam claimed 26 civilian lives, India placed the agreement “in abeyance.” Officials linked the decision to Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border violence, marking a bold shift in policy. Since then, India has halted data sharing and inspections, while fast-tracking projects like Sawalkote, Ratle, and Pakal Dul on western rivers.
Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana announced the dam’s nearing finish, emphasizing its role in aiding drought-stricken Kathua and Samba districts. “Excess water to Pakistan will be stopped, it has to be,” he said, noting the project’s priority for local farmers in the Kandi area. Standing 55.5 meters high with a 7.7-kilometer hydel channel, the Rs 3,394 crore barrage funded mostly by Punjab (80%) and the central government (20%) will irrigate 5,000 hectares in Punjab and over 32,000 in Jammu and Kashmir. Conceived in 1979 and declared a national project in 2008, construction stalled due to inter-state disputes but surged post-treaty pause.
For Pakistan, where 80-90% of agriculture depends on the Indus system and storage lasts barely a month, this could deepen water shortages. Islamabad has appealed to the Court of Arbitration in The Hague for urgent mediation, but India has rejected the process, calling it invalid. The World Bank has yet to rule on the suspension.
As rivers that once bridged divides now underscore rifts, both nations grapple with the human cost: Indian farmers hope for relief from dry spells, while Pakistani communities fear parched fields. Amid calls for dialogue, the dam’s completion signals a new chapter in this enduring saga of water and diplomacy.
