India Vows to Block All Water Flow to Pakistan Amid Rising Tensions

India escalated tensions with Pakistan on Wednesday through statements from a senior official who vowed to block even a single drop of water from reaching Pakistan. This move is part of the ongoing "water war" between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The Indian Minister of Water Resources declared that New Delhi is actively working to stop water flow and prevent any water from reaching Pakistan following India's suspension of a key water treaty last year.

In a late Tuesday interview with the Indian Asia News Agency, Water Minister C. R. Patel said, "It is certain that not a single drop of water will go (to Pakistan) in the coming years." He added that India is "working hard on this, under the directives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Pakistan had previously stated that it would consider any attempt to alter the course of cross-border waterways as an act of war. It affirmed that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty remains in effect, as there is no mechanism for unilateral withdrawal.

The treaty governs the use of waters flowing from six rivers originating in India and draining into Pakistan within the Indus River basin, a vital resource for hundreds of millions of people.

The Indus River passes through highly sensitive demarcation lines between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, a region disputed since the partition of British India in 1947.

This water treaty provided a rare diplomatic channel between the two countries until India suspended its participation in May 2025, following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

At that time, the neighbors engaged in intense fighting lasting four days, involving drones, missiles, and artillery, resulting in at least 70 deaths on both sides.

Since then, water issues have remained a sharp point of contention between India and Pakistan.

Earlier in June, Pakistan accused India of attempting to "weaponize water" after New Delhi announced two projects on the Chenab River, which India controls.

In May, India's National Hydroelectric Power Corporation issued a tender notice for a proposed tunnel project intended to divert water from the Chenab River to the Beas River basin.

In January, the Indian Ministry of Energy reported it was "removing sediment" at the Salal hydropower station on the Chenab River "after ending the Indus Waters Treaty."

Any reduction in water flow is expected to have severe consequences for Pakistan’s agriculture and overall economy.