India starts work on hydro projects after suspending treaty with Pakistan, say sources

India has begun work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the India-occupied Kashmir, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, after fresh escalation with Pakistan led it to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. Tensions between the two countries have spiked following the April 22 attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan vehemently rejected the allegation and called for a neutral probe. A “reservoir flushing” process to remove sediment began on Thursday, carried out by India’s biggest hydropower company, the state-run NHPC and authorities in the India-occupied Kashmir, the three sources said, according to Reuters.