The past month has been quite intense politically for both Pakistan and India. After the Pahalgam Attack on 22 April, India retaliated by suspending the Indus Water Treaty as the country blamed Pakistan for the deadly terrorist attack, which killed 26 people in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir. India, despite having no evidence against Pakistan, threatened to stop its water supply, affecting millions of civilians. Following this, the two countries have had a military standoff, which has affected the armed forces as well as civilians.
Even though the tensions have cooled down for now, thanks to US President Donald Trump, the threat of water constantly looms over Pakistan’s head. While India will need significant infrastructure to stop water flowing to Pakistan, in the short run, this means that India is no longer obliged to adhere to the outlines of the treaty, like sharing hydrological data, which is crucial for flood forecasting and planning for irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water. The treaty in the long run will cause a shortage of water and also affect the agriculture of Pakistan.
China Responds with Fast-tracking the Mohmand Dam.
China has long been a trustworthy ally to Pakistan. After the illegal suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, China has announced plans to accelerate work on a “flagship” Mohmand dam in Pakistan to ease pressure related to water. The dam was originally planned to be completed in 2026 by the China Energy Engineering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; however, in light of recent tension between Pakistan and India, China has taken the much-needed step to accelerate the building process.
On Saturday, Chinese Broadcaster CCTV reported that one of the major steps in completion of the dam, concrete filling, has commenced. It is being described as a “critical construction milestone” which officially marks the fast-tracking of the national flagship project of Pakistan.
The main aim of the Mohmand Dam, being constructed over the Swat River, is to mitigate flood risks, irrigated agricultural land of over 16,737 acres, generate hydropower, and economically uplift Pakistan’s economy. Given the recent times, the timely construction of the dam has become even more important.
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