The Wullar Barrage Project will be restarted after four decades, a new setback for Pakistan.

New Delhi. Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated after Operation Sindoor. The Indus Water Treaty, which India had been following in the name of humanity, was cancelled after Operation Sindoor. Pakistan protested, but the central government clarified that the treaty was only for peacetime. If Pakistan did not want to establish peace, the treaty would cease to exist. In this context, the Jammu and Kashmir government is now planning to restart the Wullar Barrage Project, which had been closed for four decades. The project’s primary purpose is to store and control the flow of water from the Jhelum River.

Project Shelved Due to the Treaty
The Indian government and the Jammu and Kashmir government had previously halted the Wullar Barrage Project in light of the Indus Water Treaty. Now that the treaty has been suspended, the government of local Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is planning to restart it. According to officials, the central and state governments will soon begin work on this project together.

Current Status of Wular Lake
Following Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the Wular Barrage Lake is once again in the news. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated in the Assembly that his government is working with the central government on two major projects—water supply to Jammu city from the Chenab River in Akhnoor and the Tulbul Project (Wular Barrage) on the Jhelum. This project previously received funding from the Asian Development Bank, but was put on hold due to the treaty. The lake’s size varies depending on the flow of the Jhelum River. The minimum size is 20 square kilometers and the maximum is approximately 190 square kilometers.

Local People’s Expectations
Local people hope the construction of this barrage will improve employment and livelihoods. The flow of the Jhelum River decreases during winter, causing most parts of Wular Lake to dry up. Local fishermen and farmers have been using boats in the lake to fish, harvest water chestnuts, and lotus stems. The project’s launch will revive their traditional livelihoods.

Pakistan’s Reaction
Following the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan issued repeated statements warning that withholding water would be tantamount to war. However, India has maintained its stand and ordered the central and state governments to begin work on the project soon.