{
  "id": 17531015,
  "title": "India’s water blackmail",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/indias-water-blackmail",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-01T03:32:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2041304/indias-water-blackmail"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Since April 2025, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. This move has been interpreted as a political decision by the BJP-led NDA government, but it also appears to be part of a long-term strategy to economically weaken Pakistan. The primary target of this strategy is the Chenab river, which India is systematically converting into a tool for exerting leverage over Pakistan.\n\nSince the suspension of the IWT, India has rapidly increased its infrastructure on the Chenab river. This includes new hydroelectric power projects, dams, and diversion canals. These projects have significantly increased the river's storage and diversion capacity, giving India a strategic advantage in controlling the river's flow.\n\nIndia's approach involves two main strategies: increasing storage capacity and enhancing the ability to divert the Chenab's water. The country has five major projects planned, including Sawalkot (1,856 MW), Kirthai I & II (1,320 MW), Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Ratle (850 MW), and Bursar Storage (800 MW). These projects, along with extensive local diversions, form part of India's strategic roadmap.\n\nThe Chenab-Beas Link Project, a controversial proposal, is particularly significant. This project aims to divert water from the Chenab to the Beas basin, which could have serious implications for Pakistan's economy and food security. If India were to control water flows from October to December or May to July, it could cause significant economic losses for Pakistan, estimated to be between $9bn and $11bn.\n\nPakistan has largely been responding to this threat through external legal and diplomatic channels. However, domestically, there is a lack of preparedness. Ground-level communities and sectors that will be affected by this infrastructure remain vulnerable. Pakistan lacks the necessary infrastructure for water storage, optimized canal lining, crop-switching strategies, and real-time early warning systems to cope with sudden cuts in water flow.",
  "summary": "SINCE April 2025, when India unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), most scholarship has treated it as a political decision by the BJP-led NDA government. While it is true that the BJP has been developing a narrative that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ‘rectifying’ the ‘mistakes’ of the Nehruvian era, the decisions and developments during the past 18 months suggest that…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}