New Delhi
The Central Government is considering reviving the long-stalled Tulbul Navigation Project to better utilize India’s share of water from the western rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), senior officials confirmed on Thursday.
A detailed project report is currently being prepared and is expected to be finalized within a year. “Only after the report is ready will we move forward with the decision,” an official said, noting that discussions are already underway.
India has long faced challenges in maximizing its allotted water due to limited storage capacity, especially during the monsoon season. “We have less capacity during rains, and any surplus water flows downstream to Pakistan,” the official explained. Better dam and sediment management are key aspects of the revival plan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly criticized restrictions under the treaty, particularly those preventing desilting of dams in Jammu and Kashmir. He pointed out that for decades, sediment gates were never opened, rendering reservoirs almost unusable.
The renewed interest in Tulbul comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the treaty had been placed “under abeyance” following the Pahalgam terror attack. He asserted that India is no longer bound to uphold its terms. Additionally, officials are exploring options to divert water from the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to states like Punjab and Haryana. Projects like Kishanganga have already been completed despite objections, and work on the Ratle hydropower project is being fast-tracked.