India plans expansion of Ranbir canal on Chenab to boost water use after Indus Waters Treaty suspension-OxBig News Network

The government is considering plans to expand the Ranbir canal on the Chenab river as part of a broader strategy to maximise the utilisation of water resources following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), officials said. The decision comes in the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, after which India placed the treaty in abeyance.

Until now, India’s use of water from the Chenab has been limited, primarily for irrigation. However, with the treaty now suspended, officials believe there is greater scope to harness these waters, particularly for power generation to help meet rising energy demands.

Enhancing India’s current hydropower generation capacity

A senior government official said plans are being formulated to enhance India’s current hydropower generation capacity—around 3,000 megawatts—on rivers that were earlier allocated for Pakistan’s use under the treaty. A feasibility study is also being planned for this purpose.

“One of the key proposals involves extending the length of the Ranbir canal to 120 kilometres,” the official added. Given the infrastructure and time requirements involved, all stakeholders have been urged to expedite implementation.

In addition, the desilting process has begun on several other canals, including those in Kathua, Ravi, and Paragwal, another official confirmed.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the distribution of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan. It divides the rivers into eastern (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) and western (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) rivers.

Following the Pahalgam attack on April 22 which witnessed brutal killing of 26 people, most of them tourists, India announced that the treaty would remain suspended until Pakistan takes “credible and irreversible” steps to end its support for cross-border terrorism.

(With PTI inputs)