India Alerts Pak On Potential Flood In Tawi River
Humanitarian gesture is first contact between countries after Pahalgam: Reports
NEW DELHI: Despite strained relations following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has alerted Pakistan about a potential flood situation in the Tawi river, which flows through the Jammu region. Sources said the information was shared with Pakistan “on humanitarian grounds” to help save lives and livestock.
The alert was sent on Sunday morning through India’s High Commission in Islamabad to the Pakistan Foreign Office, bypassing the established Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) mechanism, which has remained suspended since the Pahalgam attack. Earlier, it was the duty of IWT Commissioners to exchange such information and warnings.
India issued the alert at 10 am on Sunday regarding the developing flood emergency on the Indian side. This was the first official contact between the two countries since Operation Sindoor. Following the alert, Pakistani authorities also issued flood warnings in their regions.
Heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered flood-like conditions in the Union Territory, with the Tawi river rising to dangerous levels. Several villages near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab were also affected as water levels in the Ujh and Ravi rivers and rivulets swelled following heavy rains in Jammu, Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh since Saturday night. In Punjab, the Pathankot district administration declared a holiday in all educational institutions on Monday due to incessant rains, while similar orders were issued for schools in Jammu division.
Northern India, including Jammu, Kashmir, and Punjab, has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert on Monday for these regions, advising people to shift to safer places.
“Sudden water level rise and above-normal flood situations are expected in the Jhelum, Chenab, and their tributaries across Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Kishtwar, Ramban, Doda, Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Samba districts in the next 24 hours,” the Central Water Commission (CWC) flood alert stated on Sunday. Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 190 mm of rainfall.
The IMD also warned of “isolated very heavy rainfall” over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab on August 25-26, with Himachal Pradesh likely to experience heavy rain for the next seven days. Residents were advised to stay indoors during intense showers, avoid sheltering under trees or weak structures, check road and traffic updates before stepping out, and limit non-essential travel.
The Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority further warned of possible cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, and waterlogging at vulnerable locations in the next 40 hours, urging people to move to safer areas.