India shuts Baglihar, Salal dam gates; Chenab river sees unprecedented drop in Akhnoor

Salal Dam on the Chenab river, in Reasi district.

For the first time in years, the water level in the Chenab River at Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir fell below waist level on Monday, drawing hundreds of curious locals to its near-dry riverbed.

Officials, cited in an Indian Express report, attributed the sudden drop in water levels to the closure of sluice gates at the Baglihar and Salal hydroelectric dams in Ramban and Reasi districts, respectively. The gates were shut after a routine desiltation operation over the weekend, aimed at refilling the reservoirs.

The officials, however, also linked the development to India’s escalating diplomatic measures against Pakistan in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, states the report.

Notably, this comes days after the Centre announced its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 pact that regulates the use of the Indus river system shared by India and Pakistan, in the aftermath of the ghastly terror attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley.

Constructed as run-of-the-river projects, both the Baglihar and Salal dams enable India to regulate, though not indefinitely block, water discharge into Pakistan. It should be noted that during their construction, Pakistan had raised concerns, leading to World Bank intervention and eventual compromises on dam height and pondage capacity.

On Monday morning, as the Baglihar reservoir began refilling, some sluice gates were gradually reopened. Salal dam officials also released water downstream, causing the water level in Akhnoor to begin rising again by late afternoon.

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Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police were forced to intervene in the interim. Crowds that had gathered in and around the exposed riverbed, some of them wading in ankle-deep waters, were dispersed as officers used public address systems to warn of an imminent surge in flow due to rainfall in upstream catchment areas.

Many curious locals took to the riverbed, wading through ankle-deep water in search of gold and silver ornaments or old coins now exposed by the receding Chenab.

As the day progressed and water levels began to rise again, police teams led by senior officers moved in to disperse the crowds. Using loudspeakers, they urged people to stay away from the riverbed and warned against attempting to cross on foot.

“There’s been rainfall in the catchment areas, and a sudden surge in water is likely,” a police officer cautioned, requesting residents to vacate the area for their safety, states a PTI report.

Villagers said they had never seen the Chenab run this shallow. “This is unprecedented,” said one local as cited in the PTI report.

Another resident, Ankur Sharma, as quoted by PTI, echoed the sentiment that the move was part of a calculated response. “

The suspension of the treaty gave the government leverage to create these flood-and-drought cycles. Pakistan must understand it cannot go unpunished after every terror strike,” he said.