'India's water will now flow for India': PM Modi's big statement after suspension of Indus Waters Treaty 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made his first public remarks following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, asserting that water meant for India will now remain within the country and be used for its development.

Speaking at an ABP News event, the Prime Minister said: "Pehle Bharat ke haq ka paani bhi bahar ja raha tha... ab Bharat ka paani, Bharat ke haq mein bahega, Bharat ke haq mein rukega aur Bharat ke hi kaam aayega (Earlier, even India’s rightful share of water used to flow out; now, India’s water will flow for India, stay for India, and serve India)."

The strong statement comes days after the government announced the suspension of the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. The treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, was paused after the terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians.

This marks the first official pause in the treaty's implementation since its inception — a major shift in India’s diplomatic approach to Pakistan.

Criticising the indecisiveness of earlier governments, Prime Minister Modi said that there was a time when, before taking any essential step, people used to think what the world would think. "They used to think whether they would get a vote, and whether their seat would be safe. Because of these reasons, major reforms were delayed. No country can move forward like this. The country moves forward when we keep the nation first."

Following the announcement, India is moving quickly to accelerate hydropower development in Jammu and Kashmir to divert Indus waters for national use. A high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah is expected this week to discuss fast-tracking six key hydroelectric projects, alongside Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and senior officials.

The projects under focus include: Sawalkot Project (1,856 MW) on the Chenab River in Ramban and Udhampur, Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Ratle (850 MW), Bursar (800 MW), Kiru (624 MW), and Kirthai-I and II (1,320 MW combined). Once completed, these will raise Jammu and Kashmir's power generation capacity to nearly 10,000 MW, while also boosting irrigation and drinking water availability in downstream areas.