Omar Abdullah Vs Mehbooba Mufti Clash Over Tulbul Project Amid Indus Treaty Suspension
A political row erupted in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday after Omar Abdullah called for the revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, drawing sharp criticism from Mehbooba Mufti.
National Conference leader and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reignited the long-dormant Tulbul Navigation Barrage debate, days after the Centre placed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance.
“The Wular lake in North Kashmir… The civil works you see in the video is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage… Now that the IWT has been ‘temporarily suspended,’ I wonder if we will be able to resume the project,” Abdullah posted on X.
He claimed that restarting work on the barrage—stalled since the 1980s due to Pakistani objections under IWT—could enhance navigation on the Jhelum and improve power generation, particularly during harsh winters.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti lashed out at Abdullah’s remarks, warning against politicising water amid heightened Indo-Pak tensions.
“Such statements are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative,” Mufti posted on X. “Weaponising something as essential and life-giving as water is not only inhumane but also risks internationalising what should remain a bilateral matter.”
She added that Jammu and Kashmir has already borne the brunt of violence and instability, and reviving a contentious project could escalate tensions.
Responding to the criticism, Abdullah accused Mufti of political opportunism and failing to prioritize J&K’s interests.
“Your blind lust to score cheap publicity points and please some people sitting across the border… The IWT has been one of the biggest historic betrayals of the interests of the people of J&K,” he wrote.
He defended his stance, asserting that opposing the treaty was a call for justice, not an act of aggression. “It’s about correcting a historic injustice that denied the people of J&K the right to use our water for ourselves.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, governs water-sharing of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. India suspended the agreement last month following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
The Tulbul Navigation Project, initiated in the early 1980s, was halted after Pakistan objected, citing the treaty. The project involves a barrage on Wular Lake aimed at regulating water flow into the Jhelum River for navigation and power benefits.
