Chenab River

Context

The Chenab River almost ran dry in Jammu & Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector near the Line of Control (LoC), after the sluice gates of two major dams — Salal and Baglihar — were closed for desiltation. The river’s level returned to normal a day later when the water release was resumed. This event came shortly after India put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in abeyance.

Understanding the Chenab River

The Chenab River originates in Himachal Pradesh (Bara Lacha Pass in the Lahul-Spiti part of the Zaskar Range) and flows through Jammu & Kashmir before entering Pakistan.
Through the plains of Punjab (Pakistan), it joins the Satluj after receiving the waters of Jhelum and Ravi rivers, before ultimately flowing into the Indus River.
It is one of the three “Western Rivers” under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) — the others being the Indus and the Jhelum.
As per the IWT, Pakistan has control over the waters of these three rivers, but India is allowed limited use for:
- Domestic and non-consumptive purposes
- Limited agriculture (as per specific cusec limits)
- Run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects (no large-scale storage or diversion)

India’s Dams on the Chenab (Technical Highlights)

Project	Type	Height	Capacity	Operator
Salal Dam	Concrete gravity dam	81.38 m	690 MW	NHPC
Baglihar Dam	Concrete-face rockfill dam	143 m	450 MW (Stage-I)	J&K Power Development Corp.

Both are run-of-the-river dams — allowed under IWT with strict technical guidelines to prevent large-scale diversion or storage.
These dams are vital for J&K’s energy security and part of a broader strategy to tap hydroelectric potential in the region.

Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

The six-decade-old treaty governs the sharing of waters of six rivers in the Indus system between the two countries.
Main Rivers: Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share of China and Afghanistan.
Under the treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all the waters of
Eastern rivers- namely Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas were allocated to India for exclusive use
Western rivers- Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive, and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty.