A sharp decline in the flow of western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — from India has triggered alarm in Pakistan, with water levels at major dams now reaching ‘dead level’. This drop, although common before the monsoon, appears more serious this year due to continued dam flushing and desilting activities by India in Jammu & Kashmir.
Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA) confirmed a growing water deficit. On Wednesday, the country released 11,180 cusecs more water than it received. While the inflow stood at 2,41,611 cusecs, the outflow reached 2,52,791 cusecs.
Punjab and Sindh to Face Shortages
The reduced water flow is already affecting key agricultural provinces. Punjab received only 1,14,600 cusecs — a steep 20 per cent drop compared to 1,43,600 cusecs on the same date last year. The shortfall comes at a critical time as the kharif cropping season begins, placing additional pressure on farmers and local irrigation systems.
This imbalance between inflow and outflow is now threatening both irrigation and drinking water availability, particularly in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, which heavily depend on the Indus system.
India’s Dam Activities Under Scrutiny
Pakistan believes India’s ongoing efforts to desilt and increase storage capacity in its dams are exacerbating the situation. While such operations are within India’s rights under certain conditions of the Indus Waters Treaty, they risk further reducing downstream water supply during already dry periods.
As the monsoon approaches, experts warn that the current imbalance, if left unaddressed, could evolve into a larger water crisis in the coming weeks.
