Punjab: Sutlej rising in Ferozepur, result of Indus Waters Treaty suspension

Dozens of villages located near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Ferozepur district are currently submerged under floodwater. Vast stretches of agricultural fields and many homes are inundated. While this region is no stranger to floods — they occur here nearly every alternate year — the situation this time is far more alarming. Not only is the water level significantly higher than in previous years, but there is also little hope of any immediate relief.

This is the first major flood in the area following the cancellation of the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan. The flood has hit precisely the region where the Sutlej river flows from India into Pakistan. At this critical point lies the Hussainiwala Barrage, whose floodgates determine how much water is released across the border. The specific location of the barrage is known as the Ferozepur Headworks.

A canal begins at the Hussainiwala Barrage and carries water to the arid regions of Rajasthan. Similarly, once the Sutlej crosses into Pakistan, another canal — known as the Deepalpur Canal — diverts water towards the dry areas of Pakistani Punjab.

Recently, the Bikaner Canal became a topic of political contention when Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared that he would not allow even a single drop of Punjab’s water to flow into Haryana or Rajasthan.

Ironically, the Bikaner Canal is now flowing at full capacity, and the surplus water is spilling into surrounding villages, leading to large-scale submergence.

Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April and subsequent Operation Sindoor, the government of India annulled the Indus Waters Treaty. It was asserted that not even a drop of India’s water would be allowed to enter Pakistan. However, this stoppage of water flow has now led to unintended consequences for residents of this border area.

Over the past several days, people in the Hussainiwala region have been staging protests. Their main demand is that the gates of the Hussainiwala Barrage be opened to allow excess rainwater from the swollen Sutlej river to flow into Pakistan, thereby bringing much-needed relief to flood-stricken villages.

Jasbir Singh, president of the Barh Peedit Kisan Sangharsh Committee, expressed deep concern while speaking to the media. “The floodwaters have completely ruined our crops, yet the authorities are not opening the barrage gates,” he said.

At present, multiple parts of Punjab’s Malwa region are reeling under flood conditions. Large swathes of paddy and cotton crops have been destroyed. However, it is the flood situation in Hussainiwala, Ferozepur that has emerged as the most pressing and complex crisis in the state.