Authorities have opened multiple spillway gates of the Salal Dam in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district due to a continuous rise in water levels in the Chenab River following heavy rainfall in the region.
Officials have issued advisories urging locals to stay away from the riverbanks and follow all safety instructions.
The gates were opened to safely discharge excess water and prevent any possible flooding downstream.
According to a prior report, Heavy rainfall across parts of Jammu and Kashmir led to a rise in the water level of the Chenab River, causing an overflow at the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project.
Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Shridhar Patil, acknowledged the situation and urged people to stay away from rivers and overflowing streams. While speaking to ANI, DIG Patil said, “All of you must have noticed that the water level has risen in the Chenab River. One incident has also come to our notice in the Doda district, in which some people have lost their lives. I appeal to all people not to go near the rivers… The water level is very high. Do not put yourself at risk.”
The opening of the gates comes amid a sensitive geopolitical backdrop. Just last month, the gates of the Salal Dam had been kept closed following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, after the Pahalgam terror attack. India had put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance as an immediate response to the “barabaric” attack, as part of a broader policy shift announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under “Operation Sindoor.”
One of the gates was briefly opened last month to manage overflow due to increased water levels from rainfall, but operations at the dam were largely kept under tight control due to the ongoing diplomatic tensions.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, is a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan that governs the use of six rivers in the Indus Basin–Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. Under the treaty, the waters of the eastern rivers–Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, were allocated to India, while the western rivers–Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, were given to Pakistan, with India allowed limited non-consumptive use.
India has used this treaty to develop hydroelectric projects like the Salal and Baglihar Dams on the Chenab. These are “run-of-the-river” (ROR) projects, meaning they do not divert or store large amounts of water but still require careful management of flow levels, especially during the monsoon season.
On May 12, PM Modi stated that after the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, Operation Sindoor reflects India’s ongoing and firm response to terrorism. Referring to the treaty, he declared, “Water and blood cannot flow together,” emphasising India’s decision to put the treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack.
Earlier in May, the Baglihar Dam, located on the Chenab, was forced to open its gates on May 8 due to intense rainfall. The coordinated dam management has so far helped avoid major flooding incidents. (ANI)
