On Monday, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district opened three gates of the Baglihar Dam after heavy and continuous rainfall in the Doda–Kishtwar region caused a sharp rise in the Chenab River’s water level. Officials said the situation is being closely monitored, with weather and river conditions under constant review and all relevant departments on high alert to handle any emergency.

The move comes amid renewed political and diplomatic focus on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which India has said remains in abeyance due to Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism. At a weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that India’s stance on the treaty is unchanged, stating that Pakistan must end support for such activities for any reconsideration.

He also referred to earlier statements from June 5 and previous briefings, linking the treaty’s suspension to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. India has consistently rejected Pakistan’s objections to its hydroelectric projects on rivers such as the Chenab and Beas, and dismissed the findings of a Court of Arbitration formed in May 2026, calling it illegitimate and non-binding. The report also recalls that on May 3, all gates of the Baglihar Dam had remained closed for an extended period following the treaty’s suspension, reflecting its broader impact on water management and hydropower operations.

The Baglihar Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab plays an important role in electricity generation and river regulation. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, divides the river system between India and Pakistan—assigning the eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej, Beas) to India and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) largely to Pakistan, while allowing India limited usage rights for irrigation and run-of-the-river hydropower on the western rivers. India has built several major projects, including the Bhakra, Pong, Pandoh, and Thein dams, along with associated link canals and irrigation systems, to fully utilise its share of eastern river waters.