In a significant development, the Indian government is set to initiate a comprehensive study aimed at optimizing water usage from the three rivers previously allocated to Pakistan under the now-suspended Indus Water Treaty. This decision follows a high-level meeting led by Home Minister Amit Shah, which addressed the future of the treaty after the tragic Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

The 1960 treaty, facilitated by the World Bank, granted India exclusive rights to the eastern rivers—Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi—yielding an average annual flow of approximately 33 million acre-feet (MAF). Conversely, Pakistan was allocated the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—totaling around 135 MAF.

With the treaty currently inactive, the Indian government is exploring methods to harness the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers. Following the meeting, Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring that no water flows into Pakistan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued several directives, and the meeting served as a platform to strategize their implementation. Paatil reiterated, "We will ensure that not a single drop of water flows into Pakistan from India."

Sources indicate that a long-term plan is in the works to effectively execute these decisions. The ministry has been tasked with investigating ways to utilize the water from the three western rivers.

Experts have raised concerns regarding the existing infrastructure, which may hinder India's ability to fully capitalize on the water resources resulting from the treaty's suspension. Himanshu Thakkar from the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) noted that infrastructure limitations currently prevent an immediate halt to water flows.

Thakkar explained, "We have several projects in the Chenab basin that will take five to seven years to complete. Until then, water will continue to flow to Pakistan by gravity. Once these projects are operational, India will have control mechanisms that are currently lacking."

Environmental activist Shripad Dharmadhikary also warned against the assumption that India could swiftly redirect water flows, stating, "We currently lack the major infrastructure needed to stop water from flowing into Pakistan."

In reaction to India's decision regarding the water-sharing agreement, Pakistan's Senate has declared the move as "an act of war."