NEW DELHI — India has firmly declared that it will not reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, signaling a decisive shift in regional water politics. In a bold statement to The Times of India, Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that water currently flowing into Pakistan from Indian territory will be diverted for use within India.
The announcement comes months after India suspended its participation in the decades-old agreement, following a deadly terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. While Pakistan denied any role in the incident, the treaty has remained inactive even after a ceasefire was brokered in May between the two nuclear-armed nations.
“There is no question of restoring it,” said Shah. “We will construct a canal to reroute the water to Rajasthan. Pakistan has been unjustly benefiting from it for years—this will now end.”
Signed in 1960 with the help of the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty had guaranteed Pakistan access to the majority of water from three major rivers originating in India, supporting over 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural sector. India’s decision to halt the arrangement has dealt a serious blow to Islamabad’s water security and diplomatic hopes.
Shah’s remarks, made as a top member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, underscore India’s increasingly hardline stance following repeated border tensions and security concerns. In May, Reuters reported that India intended to boost its own usage of river water as part of broader retaliatory measures.
While Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to the latest developments, officials have previously warned that unilateral withdrawal from the treaty would be considered “an act of war.” Islamabad is also reportedly preparing to pursue legal options under international law to challenge India’s move.
With bilateral relations already strained, the collapse of the Indus Waters Treaty—long seen as a rare pillar of cooperation—could further destabilize an already fragile peace in South Asia.