India informs Pakistan of flood risk in first official contact since May conflict

India officially contacted Pakistan for the first time since the military conflict in May to alert Islamabad about the threat of major floods  in the Tawi River at Jammu.

According to official sources, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad communicated the warning in line with the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan’s government subsequently issued an alert, acknowledging India’s advance notice regarding possible flooding in the Tawi River.

This development marks the first significant engagement between the two countries after New Delhi had earlier declared suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the May conflict. 

Officials in Pakistan, however, maintain that the situation is under control and that emergency measures are in place.

Pakistan and India have been in conflict over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) since the Pahalgam incident in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the attack, New Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement and threatened military action, along with abandoning the IWT.

India temporarily put the treaty on hold and repeatedly threatened to block the flow of the western rivers to Pakistan. However, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ordered India to comply with the treaty's regulations and not block the rivers.

Read more: Modi terms Indus Water Treaty 'unjust and one-sided'

The Hague court ordered that any run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects must strictly comply with treaty provisions rather than India’s preferred engineering standards.

The court further emphasised that disputes over the treaty’s application should be resolved through its established notification, objection, and settlement procedures, in the spirit of cooperation.

The release of water from India triggered a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala in the Sutlej River. 

The Flood Forecasting Division Lahore reports a moderate flood at Head Sulemanki, while the Chenab River shows a low-level flood at Head Marala and Khanki.

Several villages in Punjab have been inundated as water levels in the Sutlej continue to rise. Districts including Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Vehari have been affected. Rescue teams have shifted villagers and their livestock to safer areas.

Also check: Monsoon rains boost water reserves amid widespread urban flooding across Punjab

A spokesperson for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that the floodwaters pose a serious threat to settlements near the border.

According to PDMA, more than 19,000 people have been evacuated to safer places in the past 24 hours. Authorities have urged people living near riverbanks to move immediately, though some locals say they have nowhere else to go.