India takes first tangible step outside IWT

India has taken the first tangible step in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, as authorities began work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), sources have told Reuters.

A "reservoir flushing" process to remove sediment began on Thursday, carried out by India's biggest hydropower company, the state-run NHPC Ltd, and the relevant authorities, the three sources said, adding that the work might not immediately threaten supply to Pakistan but it could in the long run.

India suspended the IWT – that ensures supply to 80% of Pakistani farms – after the killing of 26 people in IIOJK' tourist resort of Pahalgam last month. Without giving any evidence, India blamed Pakistan for the attack, triggering heightened tensions between the two countries.

Pakistan, which denied any role in the Pahalgam attack, has threatened international legal action over the suspension of the IWT and warned: "Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... will be considered as an act of war".

According to the sources, India did not inform Pakistan about the work at the Salal and Baglihar projects, which was being done for the first time since the projects were built in 1987 and 2008-09, respectively, as the IWT had blocked such work, the sources said.

The reservoir flushing process initially results in sediment-laden waters being released downstream from the reservoirs, potentially causing sudden inundation, followed by a reduced flow of water as the reservoirs are refilled, one of the sources said.

They said that the work might not immediately threaten supply to Pakistan, but it could eventually be affected if other dams launch similar efforts. There are more than half a dozen such projects in the occupied region.

The flushing operation ran for three days from May 1, one of the sources told Reuters. "We were also asked to open the adjustable gates for cleaning, which we did from May 1," the source said, adding that the effort aimed at freeing dam operations from any restrictions.

"This is the first time such an exercise has taken place and will help in more efficient power generation and prevent damage to turbines," the source said. Locals, living on the banks of the Chenab River, also confirmed water had been released from both Salal and Baglihar dams from Thursday to Saturday.

The flushing of hydropower projects requires nearly emptying a reservoir to force out sediment, the build-up of which is a major cause of declining output. "Flushing is not a common thing because it leads to a lot of water wastage," said one of the sources.

Two of the sources said that power delivered by the 690-megawatt Salal project was far below its capacity, because Pakistan had prevented such flushing, while silt build-up also affected output at the 900-MW Baglihar project.

"Downstream countries were expected to be informed in case it led to any inundation," the source said, as under the IWT, India had to share data such as hydrological flows at various spots on the rivers flowing through India and issue flood warnings.

Government officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, however, as the IWT has allowed it only to build so-called run-of-river hydropower plants, which do not require significant storage dams, on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan.

The IWT suspension means India "can now pursue our projects at free will", said Kushvinder Vohra, a recently retired head of India's Central Water Commission who worked extensively on Indus disputes with Pakistan.