All civilisations have invariably inhabited on the plains or nearby the sources of water. All nations have their arrangements for water supply. Countries like Israel have innovated to make drinking water out of the saline sea water.
Indus Water Treaty brokered nearly 6 decades ago between India & Pakistan has many clauses which with in the Treaty give India wide variety of choices, rights to use maximum water for India.
Why we never exercised our rights till date is unexplainable? At least now we can do that without abrogating the treaty.
And to do that would require years because India will have to build dams to poundage the water harness its route to irrigate the land in the state of Jammu & Kadmir which has been till date deprived of using its own water resources.
Yes even spelling out exerting our rights to use our water resources can send symbolic signal to Pakistan.
Also the Indian government needs to call of all meetings with Pakistan on the Indus water treaty as these meetings too aren't mandatory in nature.
Nevertheless the exerting our right of defence to protect ourselves against terrorist violence should be liberally exercised and a compatible offensive of military response in time must be unfailingly exercised to contain Pakistan.
Let us not depend on the international community to seek their approval before exercising any of our rights including our right of preemptive defence in protecting India's integrity.
As a first step India must immediately declare Pakistan a rogue and terrorist state.