India is taking concrete steps to revive the long-delayed Tulbul Navigation Project as part of a strategic effort to maximise its allocated share of water from the western rivers—Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum—under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), according to top government sources.

A detailed project report is currently being prepared and is expected to take about a year. “Only after that will we take a decision,” said a senior official, indicating that high-level discussions are already in advanced stages. The renewed focus on the Tulbul project comes with a view to placing the IWT "under abeyance" and begin reassessing its water-sharing arrangements with Pakistan.

While the IWT grants India limited rights over the western rivers, officials revealed that several proposals are under review to enhance water usage on India’s side. “There is potential to divert water from one of the western rivers, technically feasible, to Punjab and Haryana,” one official noted, while clarifying that the Indus River itself is not under consideration for diversion. The Tulbul project is seen as critical to strengthening India’s control and utilization of water resources within its entitlement.