Islamabad. Pakistan has been suffering from extreme water scarcity since the abrogation of the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty. Following India’s abrogation of the treaty in response to the Pulwama terrorist attack, Pakistan’s agricultural sector has faced devastating losses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly stated that blood and water cannot flow together, and not a single drop of Indus water will be given to Pakistan.

As a result of this decision, 80 percent of agricultural activities in Pakistan, especially in Punjab and Sindh provinces, are severely disrupted. Farmers in these regions, dependent on the waters of the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers, are unable to cultivate Kharif crops such as cotton and rice. According to government data, the Indus River System’s water flow was predicted to decrease by 21 percent in May, and the situation has now worsened. The water volume in the Indus River Basin has decreased by 10.3 percent compared to June 2 of last year.

Water levels in the Tarbela and Mangla dams have fallen alarmingly. While Mangla’s water holding capacity is 5.9 million acre-feet, it currently holds only 2.7 million acre-feet. On the other hand, the Tarbela Dam, with a capacity of 11.6 million acre-feet, currently has 6 million acre-feet of water, which is decreasing daily.

Due to the water crisis, not only agriculture but also Pakistan’s hydropower generation has dropped to almost zero. According to a report by the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, the Chenab’s water has decreased by 91,000 cusecs in two days.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed concern over India’s decision. Last Friday, at an international conference on glaciers at the United Nations, he termed it unilateral and illegal. In response, India’s Union Minister Kirtivardhan Singh stated that Pakistan is continuously hindering the implementation of the water treaty and spreading false propaganda by engaging in cross-border terrorism, which should be stopped immediately.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, with the mediation of the World Bank. However, after the Pulwama terrorist attack, India suspended this 65-year-old treaty and refused to release Indus water, creating a major crisis for Pakistan.