New Delhi: Blood and water cannot flow together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reported to having said at a review meeting on Monday of the 56-year-old Indus Waters Treaty during which it was decided that India will “exploit to the maximum” the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers, including Jhelum, in line with the water sharing pact.

“Prime Minister's Modi's message at the meeting was that 'rakt aur paani ek saath nahin beh sakta' (blood and water cannot flow together),” sources said.

The meeting also decided to set up an inter- ministerial task force to go into the Treaty with a “sense of urgency”, senior government sources said.

he meeting was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, the Water Resources Secretary, and senior PMO officials. It was noted that the Indus Water Commission can meet only “in an atmosphere free of terror”. The Commission has held 112 meetings so far.

It was decided to exploit fully the capacity of three of the rivers that are under Pakistan's control Indus, Chenab and Jhelum for hydroelectricity, irrigation and storage. It was agreed to review the “unilateral suspension” of Tulbul navigation project in 1987.

The sources asserted that the decision to maximise the water resources for irrigation will address the “pre-existing” sentiment of people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have complained in the past about the treaty not being fair to them.

The meeting came as India weighed its options to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers dead, triggering demands that the government scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on that country.

Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six rivers - Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum - were to be shared between the two countries.

Pakistan has been complaining about not receiving enough water and gone for international arbitration in a couple of cases.