Chenab swells as dam gates opened following heavy rain

Amid heavy rainfall that brought relief from the scorching heat, the sluice gates of the Baglihar and Salal dams were thrown open on Thursday, causing the Chenab River—which flows into Pakistan—to swell.

Ramban and Reasi districts, where the Baglihar and Salal hydroelectric power projects are respectively located, received continuous downpours since early morning. The heavy rainfall caused a rise in water levels in the dam reservoirs, prompting authorities to open the gates to prevent any structural damage.

India had recently closed the gates of both dams after putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, following a barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. The restricted flow had left the Chenab riverbed in Akhnoor nearly dry, surprising locals.

Sources said the gates of both dams were opened on Thursday morning to release water from the reservoirs, which had reached full capacity due to incessant rains.

Both Baglihar and Salal are built on the turbulent Chenab River, which enters Pakistan from the Akhnoor area of Jammu district. India’s restriction on the river’s flow is seen as a strategic move to pressurise Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. With the cultivation season underway across the border, the water shortage may pose a threat to crops there.

Earlier this week, the Chenab’s riverbed had nearly dried up after the dam gates were closed, prompting locals to venture in and reportedly discover gold and silver ornaments. In contrast, a flood-like situation emerged in the river on May 2. Locals in Akhnoor said they had never witnessed such stark fluctuations—where the riverbed is dry one day and flooded the next—in decades.