Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 6: In a bold statement amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will assert full control over its rightful share of the Indus River waters, declaring an end to what he described as an era of unequal sharing under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

Speaking at the India@2047 Summit, PM Modi emphasized, “Bharat ke haq ka paani, Bharat ke haq mein bahega” — meaning India's water will now serve India's needs. He criticised the longstanding arrangement that allowed significant river water to flow into Pakistan, asserting that such imbalances will no longer be tolerated.

The move comes on the heels of the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, prompting India to suspend key elements of the IWT — a treaty that has governed water sharing between the two nations since 1960. The Indian Cabinet, following an emergency meeting, approved diplomatic downgrades and measures to restrict Pakistan’s water access unless Islamabad acts decisively to curb cross-border terrorism.

India has already closed gates at the Baglihar and Salal dams on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, a move that has caused water levels to drop at Marala in Pakistan, sparking alarm from Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority.

PM Modi also highlighted broader efforts to interlink rivers domestically to better manage water resources and reduce internal conflicts, reinforcing a long-term vision of national water security and sovereignty.

This policy shift signals a hardening of India’s stance on resource management, aligning strategic infrastructure decisions with national security objectives.