ISLAMABAD: India on Sunday warned Pakistan of a high flood level in the River Tawi in Indian-administered Kashmir, despite New Delhi having suspended a decades-old water-sharing treaty that requires it to share hydrological data with its neighbor.
The Indian High Commission in Islamabad issued a flood warning about the River Tawi, which joins Pakistan’s Chenab River and runs through the border districts of Gujrat and Sialkot. The alert came even though India announced in April it was putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance after blaming Pakistan for an attack in Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Pakistan denied involvement and demanded an international probe.
The suspension of the treaty meant India could stop sharing critical information on water releases and flooding and was no longer required to maintain minimum flows to Pakistan during the dry season.
A letter from the Indian High Commission in Pakistan on Sunday, seen by Arab News, said:
“The High Commission of India to Pakistan presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Islamabad and has the honor to convey the following flood data. River and site Name: Tawi, Jammu. Date/Time: 24th August 2025, 10.00 Hrs, flood data: high flood.”
Following the warning, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab issued a flood alert, warning that rising waters in the River Tawi were likely to affect levels in Gujrat and Sialkot via the Chenab. District administrations were asked to activate flood monitoring and early warning systems and ensure a coordinated response.
Under the IWT, in force since 1960, Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses such as hydropower. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — but can also use the western rivers for limited power generation and irrigation, provided it does not alter their flow significantly.
Pakistan reacted strongly to India’s suspension of the treaty in April, warning that any move by New Delhi to stop or divert its share of waters guaranteed under the IWT would be considered “an act of war.”
The latest Indian warning came as Pakistan reels from deadly monsoon rains, with nearly 800 people killed since June 26 due to heavy showers, flash floods and landslides.
