India lays out short, mid, & long-term plans to halt water flow

New Delhi: India has prepared a blueprint to stop the flow of water to Pakistan from the Indus river and its tributaries, Union Jal Shakti minister CR Paatil said a day after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

"We are working on three sets of strategies - short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures - so that not even a drop of water goes to Pakistan," Paatil told ET after a meeting with home minister Amit Shah on Friday.

He said they discussed the abeyance of the water treaty and future of course action.


Paatil said the government is working on necessary measures required to stop the flow of water to Pakistan, be it developing new infrastructure, raising the capacity of dams, and/or desilting of the rivers and dams to increase water storage.

The abeyance of IWT was part of several steps India announced against Pakistan following Tuesday's terror attack in Pahalgam, citing Islamabad's sustained support to cross-border terrorism and infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.

The move could restrict Pakistan's water supplies.

People in the government said they are ready to respond if Pakistan approaches the World Bank, which had mediated this water treaty.