At a time when India is carrying out a feasibility study to build a 113 km-long canal for redirecting surplus flow of the three western rivers of the Indus system from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has decided to ‘firmly’ oppose the move at this juncture citing drought like situation in parts of Jammu region.
According to the proposed plan, the 113 km long canal is expected to link the Chenab River to the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej system, connecting with 13 existing canal structures and potentially feeding into the Indira Gandhi Canal to address water scarcity in other North Indian States. The Jal Shakti Ministry is already working on infrastructure development on a war footing to implement the decision in a span of next three years. The aim is to ensure that not a single drop of water meant for Pakistan goes to waste.
Interacting with the media after inaugurating a Rabitta office in Jammu, aimed at strengthening public outreach and grievance redressal, Abdullah made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir’s water requirements take precedence. “I will never permit this. Let us use our water for ourselves first. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. Why should I send water to Punjab? Punjab already had water under the Indus Water Treaty. Did they give us water when we needed it?†he said, mentioning past struggles to secure water from Punjab’s Shahpur Kandi barrage and Ujh multipurpose project.
“Kitne saal unhone humein rulaya. (They made us cry for so many years),†Omar Abdullah told reporters on Friday.
Without mincing his words, Omar said, “For now, the water is for usâ€. “We will use the water first, and then we will think about othersâ€.
Asked how Jammu and Kashmir was going to use the western river waters, he said that the Government would restart the Tulbul navigation project and divert the Chenab water from Akhnoor to Jammu city.
The Tulbul project, halted decades ago due to objections from Pakistan under the IWT, could enhance navigation on the Jhelum River and boost power generation, he noted.
The proposed canal project follows India’s suspension of the IWT in April 2025, after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, which India attributed to Pakistan-backed terrorism.
