India to Divert Indus Waters from Pakistan by 2035 with Six-Canal Megaproject

Government unveils ₹5 lakh crore plan to reroute Western rivers, impact Pakistan’s supply by 25%

The Government of India has revealed a master plan to construct six major canals between 2025 and 2035, aiming to divert a substantial portion of Indus river waters currently flowing into Pakistan. The move is expected to cut Pakistan’s water supply by up to 25% and reshape the water-sharing dynamics between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

According to a high-level strategic proposal accessed by InfoData and circulated across multiple government departments, the project envisions a 3,500-kilometer-long canal network, originating in Jammu and Kashmir and extending deep into the arid and water-deficient regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.

The cost of the project is pegged at ₹5 lakh crore over the next ten years and could directly benefit over 50 crore Indians across six states. The plan is expected to be a key part of India's evolving water security doctrine, particularly amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan and climate-induced water stress in both countries.

The Six-Canal Strategy: A Game-Changer for India's Water Grid

The proposed canal network is designed to carry 28 to 36 Million Acre-Feet (MAF) of water—comparable to China’s South-North Water Transfer Project (36 MAF over 2,900 km). The Indian project, if completed, will match this scale and serve domestic needs far more efficiently.

The six canals, as outlined in the official proposal, include:

• Canal 1: Akhnoor to Bikaner – 590 km

• Canal 2: Jammu to Bhuj – 1,400 km

• Canal 3: Akhnoor to Agra – 490 km

• Canal 4: Jammu to Meerut – 420 km

• Canal 5: Akhnoor to Sri Ganganagar – 310 km

• Canal 6: Jammu to Churu – 610 km

These six high-capacity arteries will create a parallel water grid, capable of drawing from Chenab, Jhelum, and other Indus tributaries, redirecting flows internally instead of allowing them to cross into Pakistan.

Treaty Revisited: India Asserts Rights Under the Indus Waters Treaty

The move follows India’s formal notification to Pakistan in January 2023 to modify the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)—a 1960 agreement brokered by the World Bank that allocates control of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan.

While India is permitted to use the western rivers for non-consumptive purposes like hydroelectricity, navigation, and limited irrigation, experts argue that India has underutilized its treaty rights for decades.

Former Central Water Commission Chairman S.K. Haldar, speaking on the sidelines of a water governance summit in Delhi, noted:

“There is no violation of the treaty. India is well within its rights to use the western rivers more assertively. This canal system is an overdue measure of national resilience.”

Implications for Pakistan: Water, Power, and Policy

The plan is expected to hit Pakistan’s water availability hard, especially in regions dependent on Mangla and Tarbela dams, which rely on Jhelum and Indus flows. Water experts warn that a 25% reduction in supply could severely impact Pakistan’s irrigation network, agriculture, and hydropower generation, particularly in Punjab and Sindh provinces.

With Pakistan already facing water stress and ranking among the top 10 water-scarce countries globally, this move from India could serve as both a strategic pressure point and a policy signal.

Water for India’s Drylands: A National Priority

Beyond geopolitics, the Six-Canal Plan is being framed as a lifeline for India’s water-deficient regions. States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh experience frequent droughts and aquifer depletion. This project promises to stabilize irrigation, drinking water supply, and industrial use across large parts of India’s heartland.

According to officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the canals will be built in phased modules, prioritizing regions with the greatest water stress and available infrastructure readiness. Land acquisition and inter-state water coordination will be managed under a special Central Water Grid Authority, currently under formation.

Environmental, Engineering, and Political Hurdles Ahead

Despite the bold vision, experts caution that building a canal network of this magnitude will involve huge logistical, environmental, and political challenges. It will require:

• Extensive land acquisition across six states

• Alignment with existing river linking projects

• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)

• Coordination between state and central governments

• Possible international objections

A senior official with the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), speaking on condition of anonymity, said:

“This is more than just canals. It’s about national water security. We’re creating a buffer against water wars.”

A Watershed Moment in India-Pakistan Relations

The Six-Canal Plan may well become a watershed moment—both literally and diplomatically. While it offers immense benefits to India’s domestic water grid, it also serves as a clear message to Pakistan: India will no longer underutilize its rights over shared rivers.

If executed effectively, this plan has the potential to alter the trajectory of Indus water diplomacy, while safeguarding India’s future against climate volatility, population pressure, and water scarcity.