India's water will be used for country's benefit: PM Modi on Indus Treaty suspension

Speaking at an ABP Network event this evening, PM Modi said, "These days, there is a lot of discussion in the media about water... Earlier, even the water that was India's right was flowing out of the country. Now, India's water will flow for India's benefit, it will be conserved for India's benefit, and it will be used for India's progress."

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty is one of the several diplomatic measures taken against Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 civilians were killed. 

The other measures included shutting the Attari-Wagah border and cancelling the visas of Pakistan nationals who were in India.

For over six decades, the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has been crucial in facilitating peaceful water sharing between India and Pakistan, even during times of heightened political and military tensions.

As part of the Indus Water Treaty, which was brokered by the World Bank, India has full rights over the three eastern rivers in the Indus system - Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

A view of the Indus River near Leh. Photo courtesy: Avani Tanya/Wikimedia Commons

The Permanent Indus Commission, the body responsible for resolving disputes, continued its functions even during the wars of 1965 and 1971, demonstrating the resilience of the treaty framework.

PM Modi's remark came a day before a nationwide security drill on Wednesday amid heightened tension with Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The mock drills will be conducted in nearly 300 locations across the country,  including the national capital and power plants, military bases, refineries, and hydroelectric dams.

The timing of the Centre's order is crucial. The last such drill was conducted in 1971, the year in which India and Pakistan went to war.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked states to operationalise air raid warning sirens and train civilians to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack.

States have been asked to undertake crash blackout measures and provision for early camouflaging of vital plants/installations.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also conduct large-scale military drills in Rajasthan, along the international border with Pakistan, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued on Tuesday evening said.

The drills will begin at 9.30 pm on Wednesday and end around five and a half hours later, during which time flights departing or landing at airports close to the border will be suspended, media reports said.