Pahalgam terror attack: India begins work on hydro projects after suspending Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan

India has begun work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

India's decision to suspend the decades-old treaty follows the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

People living on the banks of the Chenab River in Kashmir said they noticed water had been released from both Salal and Baglihar dams from Thursday to Saturday.

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The Baglihar Dam has been a longstanding point of contention between the two neighbours, with Pakistan having sought World Bank arbitration in the past.

A "reservoir flushing" process to remove sediment began on Thursday, carried out by India's biggest hydropower company, state-run NHPC Ltd, and authorities in Jammu and Kashmir, the three sources said, as per the Reuters report.

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The work may not immediately threaten supply to Pakistan, which depends on rivers flowing through India for much of its irrigation and hydropower generation, but it could eventually be affected if other projects launch similar efforts.

There are more than half a dozen such projects in the region.

"India did not inform Pakistan about the work at the Salal and Baglihar projects, which is being done for the first time since they were built in 1987 and 2008/09, respectively, as the treaty had blocked such work," the sources told Reuters.

The flushing operation ran for three days from May 1, the sources said.

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"This is the first time such an exercise has taken place and will help in more efficient power generation and prevent damage to turbines," one of the sources told Reuters.

"We were also asked to open the adjustable gates for cleaning, which we did from May 1," the source said, adding that the effort aimed to free dam operation from any restrictions.

The flushing of hydropower projects requires nearly emptying a reservoir to force out sediments whose build-up is a major cause of decline in output.

For example, two of the sources said, power delivered by the 690-MegaWatt Salal project was far below its capacity, because Pakistan had prevented such flushing, while silting also hit output at the 900-MW Baglihar project.

"Flushing is not a common thing because it leads to a lot of water wastage," said one of the sources. "Downstream countries are expected to be informed in case it leads to any inundation."

Building both projects had required extensive back and forth with Pakistan, which worries about losing out on its share of water.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.

The treaty divides the six rivers of the Indus system between the two nations. India has full rights over the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. Pakistan receives water from the three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—which flow downstream from Indian territory.

(With Reuters inputs)