Officials said that three gates of Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir (JK) Ramban district have been opened on Monday as the water level in the Chenb River has been increasing after continuous rains in the region.
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), in coordination with local administration, was warned about the rising water level. As a precaution, river rafting activities have been suspended, and officials are monitoring the situation.
Residents living in low-fledged areas along the Chenab River including Talwara, Kansi Patta, Thanpal, Chinka, Gujrakothi and Jandi have been alerted. The administration has stepped into patrolling and advised people to stay away from Riverbank and ensure that their livestock be taken to safe places.
Earlier, several Spilway Gates of Salal Dam in Rasi district of Jammu and Kashmir were opened to manage the rising water level in the Chenab River due to continuous rains.
Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Sridhar Patil accepted the situation and urged people to stay away from rivers and flowing streams.
The inauguration of Gates comes between a sensitive geo -political background. Only last month, the gate of Salal Dam was closed after the increased tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahgam terror attack. India suddenly put the Indus Water Treaty as part of a comprehensive policy change declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under “Operation Sindoor”, as an immediate response to the “barbaric” attack.
One of the gates was briefly opened last month to manage overflow due to increase in water levels from rain, but the operation in the dam was kept under tight control due to roughly running diplomatic tension.
In 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty is a water-decorating agreement between India and Pakistan that controls the use of six rivers in the Indus Basin-Indus, Jhelum, Chenb, Ravi, Beas and Sutlage. Under the treaty, the water of Eastern Rivers, Ravi, Beas and Sutlage was allocated to India, while Western rivers-Indus, Jhelum and Chenab were given in Pakistan, allowed limited non-optional use with India.
India has used the treaty to develop hydroelectric projects like Salal and Baglihar dams on Chenab. These are “run-of-the-customers” (ROR) projects, which means they do not bend or store large amounts of water, but still require careful management of flow levels, especially during the monsoon season.
On May 12, PM Modi said that after the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot air strike, Operation Sindoor reflects India’s ongoing and strong response to terrorism. Referring to the treaty, he announced, “water and blood may not flow together,” emphasizing the decision to put the treaty in the treaty after the Pahgam attack. Earlier in May, Baglihar Dam, located on the chainb, was forced to open its doors on 8 May due to intense rainfall. The coordinated dam management has so far helped to avoid major flood incidents. (AI)
