NEW DELHI: More than 1,50,000 people have been evacuated from villages in Pakistan's Punjab province after India released water from overflowing dams into cross-border rivers, triggering fears of “very high to exceptionally high” flooding across the region, officials said on Tuesday.
However, New Delhi had issued a prior warning to Islamabad about the flood-like situation despite strained relations between the two nations.
Pakistani authorities said evacuations were continuing in low-lying districts along the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers, with the Pakistan army assisting in rescue operations. Relief camps have been set up to house those displaced.
Rising waters and India’s dam releases
Pakistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority warned that India had opened all the gates of the Thein Dam on the Ravi River, while also preparing to release water from the Madhopur Dam. Satellite imagery showed Thein Dam was 97 per cent full, raising fears of imminent discharges, reported news agency Reuters.
Indian officials told the agency that the warnings were shared with Islamabad on “humanitarian grounds” due to intense rains on their side of the border.
New Delhi confirmed that most rivers and streams in Jammu and Kashmir were already overflowing, damaging roads, bridges and inundating homes.
Evacuations began on Friday after Islamabad received India’s second warning in as many days.
The NDMA said around 35,000 people had left voluntarily since August 14, while the rest were forced to move after flood alerts were issued.
Deputy commissioner Saba Asghar Ali , after visiting Pasrur city near the Indian border, said 16 villages were at immediate risk.
“Arrangements for food, medicines, washrooms, and other necessities have been made in relief camps,” she told reporters.
Pakistan’s irrigation minister Kazim Raza Pirzada said climate change was intensifying rainfall in eastern rivers. “Due to climate change, eastern rivers are experiencing heavier rainfall compared to the past,” he claimed.
Cross-border flooding fears and strained ties
However, India had informed Pakistan about the imminent floods not through the Indus Waters Commission, the permanent mechanism created under the World Bank-brokered 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which New Delhi put in abeyance after the deadly ISI-backed terrorist attack in Kashmir.
Pakistan claims India cannot "unilaterally" scrap the treaty, which had survived two wars and multiple border conflicts. The suspension, however, has come amid deteriorating ties between the nuclear-armed nations.
Climate, monsoon and humanitarian crisis
Pakistan’s current flood alert is compounded by relentless seasonal rains. Since late June, over 800 people have died nationwide, half of them in August alone, according to Reuters. In the north, PoJK's Gilgit Baltistan has seen accelerated glacial melting, while the southern port city of Karachi was partly submerged last week.
In the northwest, flash floods in Buner district earlier this month killed more than 300 people. Residents complained they had no warning before the deluge struck, but officials said it was caused by an unpredictable cloudburst.
In Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), authorities confirmed at least 68 flood-related deaths this month. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy rains to persist through late Tuesday, raising the possibility of further devastation.
Scientists and weather experts have linked the worsening monsoon cycles to climate change, which has intensified rainfall patterns across South Asia.
Pakistan’s 2022 floods, which killed 1,739 people and inundated a third of the country, remain a stark reminder of the risks.
“This year’s rains again raise fears of a repeat of 2022,” one NDMA official told AP. “Preparedness is better now, but the scale of flooding across borders is beyond what any one country can manage.”
Relief and uncertainty ahead
Authorities in Pakistani Punjab said evacuations were still under way in flood-prone districts, including Kasur and Bahawalnagar, where more than 100,000 residents have already been moved to safety.
Relief camps are being equipped with food, medicine and sanitation facilities, though officials warned resources were under strain.
The NDMA has urged citizens to stay away from rivers, avoid unnecessary travel and follow alerts issued via mobile phones and disaster apps.
Despite the precautionary measures, fears linger that new dam discharges combined with ongoing monsoon rains could worsen the flooding. Officials described the situation as “volatile,” stressing that the coming days would determine whether the crisis deepens or stabilises.
As evacuations stretch into their fifth day, both Pakistan and India remain locked in parallel battles against nature’s fury, even as political distrust overshadows potential cooperation.
However, New Delhi had issued a prior warning to Islamabad about the flood-like situation despite strained relations between the two nations.
Pakistani authorities said evacuations were continuing in low-lying districts along the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers, with the Pakistan army assisting in rescue operations. Relief camps have been set up to house those displaced.
Rising waters and India’s dam releases
Pakistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority warned that India had opened all the gates of the Thein Dam on the Ravi River, while also preparing to release water from the Madhopur Dam. Satellite imagery showed Thein Dam was 97 per cent full, raising fears of imminent discharges, reported news agency Reuters.
Indian officials told the agency that the warnings were shared with Islamabad on “humanitarian grounds” due to intense rains on their side of the border.
New Delhi confirmed that most rivers and streams in Jammu and Kashmir were already overflowing, damaging roads, bridges and inundating homes.
Evacuations began on Friday after Islamabad received India’s second warning in as many days.
The NDMA said around 35,000 people had left voluntarily since August 14, while the rest were forced to move after flood alerts were issued.
Deputy commissioner Saba Asghar Ali , after visiting Pasrur city near the Indian border, said 16 villages were at immediate risk.
“Arrangements for food, medicines, washrooms, and other necessities have been made in relief camps,” she told reporters.
Pakistan’s irrigation minister Kazim Raza Pirzada said climate change was intensifying rainfall in eastern rivers. “Due to climate change, eastern rivers are experiencing heavier rainfall compared to the past,” he claimed.
Cross-border flooding fears and strained ties
However, India had informed Pakistan about the imminent floods not through the Indus Waters Commission, the permanent mechanism created under the World Bank-brokered 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which New Delhi put in abeyance after the deadly ISI-backed terrorist attack in Kashmir.
Pakistan claims India cannot "unilaterally" scrap the treaty, which had survived two wars and multiple border conflicts. The suspension, however, has come amid deteriorating ties between the nuclear-armed nations.
Climate, monsoon and humanitarian crisis
Pakistan’s current flood alert is compounded by relentless seasonal rains. Since late June, over 800 people have died nationwide, half of them in August alone, according to Reuters. In the north, PoJK's Gilgit Baltistan has seen accelerated glacial melting, while the southern port city of Karachi was partly submerged last week.
In the northwest, flash floods in Buner district earlier this month killed more than 300 people. Residents complained they had no warning before the deluge struck, but officials said it was caused by an unpredictable cloudburst.
In Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), authorities confirmed at least 68 flood-related deaths this month. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy rains to persist through late Tuesday, raising the possibility of further devastation.
Scientists and weather experts have linked the worsening monsoon cycles to climate change, which has intensified rainfall patterns across South Asia.
Pakistan’s 2022 floods, which killed 1,739 people and inundated a third of the country, remain a stark reminder of the risks.
“This year’s rains again raise fears of a repeat of 2022,” one NDMA official told AP. “Preparedness is better now, but the scale of flooding across borders is beyond what any one country can manage.”
Relief and uncertainty ahead
Authorities in Pakistani Punjab said evacuations were still under way in flood-prone districts, including Kasur and Bahawalnagar, where more than 100,000 residents have already been moved to safety.
Relief camps are being equipped with food, medicine and sanitation facilities, though officials warned resources were under strain.
The NDMA has urged citizens to stay away from rivers, avoid unnecessary travel and follow alerts issued via mobile phones and disaster apps.
Despite the precautionary measures, fears linger that new dam discharges combined with ongoing monsoon rains could worsen the flooding. Officials described the situation as “volatile,” stressing that the coming days would determine whether the crisis deepens or stabilises.
As evacuations stretch into their fifth day, both Pakistan and India remain locked in parallel battles against nature’s fury, even as political distrust overshadows potential cooperation.
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