September 5: Amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Pakistan and an ongoing standoff over the Indus Waters Treaty, India has constructed a dam on the Indus River in Ladakh, raising water levels in the surrounding area and improving access to irrigation for local farmers.
According to Indian news outlet India Today, the dam has been built in the Upshi area of Leh, the largest city in Ladakh.
The structure was constructed using large natural blocks of stone without cement, the report said. Following its construction, the water level of the Indus River in the area has risen by approximately 10 feet.
Local farmers are among the main beneficiaries of the increased water level. The additional water has made it possible to irrigate agricultural land that had remained uncultivated for years because of a persistent shortage of water.
Farmers in Ladakh have long faced severe irrigation challenges. Because of the region’s rugged mountainous terrain, the Indus River flows through several deep gorges, leaving water levels relatively low in some areas. During the dry season, the water level can fall so sharply that farmers are sometimes unable to draw sufficient water from the river even with pumps.
As a result, large areas of farmland have remained unused. Restrictions on India’s use of the Indus River under the Indus Waters Treaty have also added to the complexity of Ladakh’s longstanding water-management challenges.
India Today reported that the newly constructed dam can store around 40 million litres of water. The stored water is then being channelled through the Igoo Phe Canal and other local irrigation channels to reach comparatively dry and previously uncultivated agricultural areas.
Water equation changed after Pahalgam attack
Tensions between India and Pakistan over the Indus River intensified following the 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack. India subsequently suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, signed with Pakistan in 1960 under the auspices of the World Bank.
Since the suspension of the treaty, diplomatic tensions between the two countries over the management and use of the Indus River have continued for nearly a year. The construction of the new dam in the Indian-controlled portion of Ladakh has emerged against this backdrop.
According to the report, the structure is the first dam built across the Indus River in the area. While it is expected to expand irrigation opportunities for local farmers, the project also carries broader diplomatic significance because of the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan over the river’s waters.
The development comes at a sensitive time for the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with the Indus water-sharing arrangement remaining a major point of contention in their bilateral relations.
Source: India Today.