Indus water treaty row: India conducting feasibility study for 113 km-long canal?

New Delhi: India is working on a plan to construct a 113-km-long canal that will divert excess water from the western rivers of the Indus system—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to states like Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. According to top sources, the project aims to ensure better use of India’s share of river waters under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan. This treaty outlines how the six rivers of the Indus basin—Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—are to be shared between the two countries.

Currently, most of the water from the western rivers flows into Pakistan, as the rivers follow a natural course that doesn’t benefit India much. The new plan focuses on diverting surplus water through newly constructed canals so that it can be used for irrigation and other needs in Indian states.

Canal plan in motion

Officials say the project is still in its early stages, and feasibility studies are being carried out. If approved, the canal will link the Chenab river to the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej system, helping to direct water into Rajasthan’s Ganganagar district. The government aims to complete the canal within three years. Home Minister Amit Shah recently spoke about the project during a BJP event in Madhya Pradesh, saying that the plan would leave Pakistan “craving for every drop of water” as India makes full use of its entitled share.

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Sources also revealed that there is a proposal to connect this canal to the Yamuna river. If that happens, the total canal length would extend to about 200 kilometers. Eventually, this could allow water to be carried all the way to Gangasagar through the Yamuna, benefiting states like Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, India announced that the Indus Waters Treaty would be put on hold until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly stated that “terror and talks cannot go together” and “water and blood cannot flow together.”