The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken a significant step by reviving the long-stalled Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a decisive shift in its approach to the management of Indus river waters and its broader strategy towards Pakistan. This move follows the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in April 2025, a decision taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which India attributes to Pakistan-backed groups.

What Is The Tulbul Navigation Project?

Initiated in the early 1980s to regulate water flow from Wular lake and enable year-round navigation on the Jhelum river. Proposed Construction: A 439 feet long, f0 feet wide lock-cum-barrage, with a storage capacity of 0.324 MAF.

The Tulbul Navigation Project is a controlled storage facility planned on the Jhelum River near Sopore in the Kashmir Valley. Originally conceived in 1984, the project involves constructing a navigation lock-cum-control structure at the mouth of Wular Lake, Asia’s largest freshwater lake. The facility is designed to store approximately 300,000 acre-feet of water, regulating outflows during lean seasons to ensure a minimum draught of 4.5 feet, thereby enabling barge traffic and seasonal navigation between Baramulla and Srinagar.

Besides improving inland water transport, the project is expected to support irrigation, flood management, and optimize downstream hydropower generation, particularly at projects like Uri-I and Uri-II.

Background And Controversy

Work on the Tulbul Project began in 1984 but was halted in 1987 after Pakistan raised objections, claiming the storage capacity violated the IWT's restrictions on India’s use of western rivers. Pakistan fears that the project would give India the ability to manipulate water flows during critical periods, potentially impacting agriculture in Pakistan’s Punjab province. India, however, maintains that the project is permissible under the treaty, as it is intended for non-consumptive uses such as navigation and regulated storage, not diversion of water.

Strategic And Political Implications

The revival of the Tulbul Project is widely seen as the first major step in India’s new, more assertive water policy following the suspension of the IWT. By preparing a fresh detailed project report (DPR), the Modi government signals its intent to move forward despite Islamabad’s objections, asserting India’s sovereign right to utilize its share of Indus waters within its territory. This marks a departure from decades of diplomatic caution, with water now being used as a tool of strategic leverage in response to continued cross-border terrorism and what India sees as the undermining of its treaty rights.

Local And Regional Impact

The project has been welcomed in Kashmir, where it is expected to alleviate water shortages during dry seasons, improve navigation, boost local commerce, and create jobs. Experts highlight that the Tulbul Project could yield substantial socio-economic benefits for the region, supporting both development and security objectives.

Pakistan’s Response And Future Outlook

Pakistan has reacted with alarm, viewing the move as a direct threat to its water security and warning that any attempt to block or manipulate flows could be considered an “act of war”. With the IWT in abeyance, Pakistan’s options for legal or diplomatic recourse are limited, as the treaty’s dispute resolution mechanisms require Indian cooperation, which New Delhi currently withholds. The situation underscores the growing strategic importance of water resources in India-Pakistan relations and signals a new phase of heightened tensions in the region.

The revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project represents a watershed moment in India’s water diplomacy, reflecting a broader policy shift towards maximizing its rights over Indus waters and using water as an instrument of strategic pressure on Pakistan.

Based On Agency Inputs