19-07-2025
India's water will now flow only for its people, asserts J&K L-G on Indus Waters Treaty's abeyance
Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday (July 19, 2025) said India's waters will flow for its people and stop in the country only, while referring to the now-in-abeyance Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
'India's water will now flow for India, stop in India, and serve the people of India. India will have full control over the Jhelum and Chenab rivers,' the L-G said.
He made these remarks while releasing author Sant Kumar Sharma's book Indus Waters Treaty: Mirroring the Facts.
Paying homage to 26 civilians killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 this year, Mr. Sinha said, 'We will never forget April 22 when Pakistan-born and trained terrorists killed our innocent civilians. But April 23 is equally an important date when Prime Minister Narendra Modi put in abeyance the IWT. Pakistan had never dreamt that before launching a military operation, India would act in a way that will rattle Pakistan,' Mr. Sinha said.
'Pakistan will face consequences'
He said it was for the first time since Pakistan as an aggressor fought three wars with India in 1965, 1971 and 1999 that the treaty signed before these wars was abandoned. 'For decades, Indian water was irrigating the land of terrorist Pakistan and feeding its people. After the Pahalgam terror attack, it was made clear that water and blood, terror and talks and terror and trade will not go together,' the L-G said.
He said the country's move on the IWT will make the future generations of Pakistan face the consequences. The IWT supported 16 million hectares of farmland and 80% of irrigation in Pakistan. 'Pakistan will face serious economic challenges now,' he added.
Mr. Sinha said the decision will also start a new phase of infrastructure and economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Sinha, in a separate function in Jammu, said every citizen of J&K has the onerous responsibility to build a terror-free and drug-free UT.
He said revival of Vedic knowledge and its integration into the school curriculum was crucial to offer the young generation great classics of world literature, values and ideals of our ancient civilisation and also a treasure of knowledge in science, arts, humanities and mathematics.
The L-G was speaking at the two-day Mahasammelan organised by Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati and the 150th anniversary of the founding of Arya Samaj.
Paying tributes to the Army, J&K Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel for making the supreme sacrifice for J&K's peace and progress, Mr. Sinha said: 'There are few elements who speak the language of TRF (The Resistance Front). Police administration and security forces are committed to ensure peace and action against such elements as per the law.'