ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province issued a flood alert in the Chenab river this week, after India announced it would open the spillway gates of its Salal Dam for silt flushing till May 30.
An advisory by district magistrate’s office of India’s Jammu and Kashmir Reasi district announced this week that the spillway gates of Salal Dam, located in Chenab river, will be opened on Thursday, May 21, from 9:00 a.m. till May 30 for reservoir silt flushing.
Chenab river is one of six transboundary rivers shared by neighbors India and Pakistan. Excess water released by Indian dams during the 2025 monsoon season and heavy rains caused floods in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province.
The PDMA Punjab issued a flood alert on Wednesday, saying that water level in the Chenab river may rise “abruptly” by two to three meters due to excess water released by the dam. It said the sudden release of water, coupled with a heavy sediment load, may cause significant fluctuations in river flows entering Pakistan, particularly at the Marala Barrage.
“In view of the situation, the Irrigation Department has already placed its field formations on high alert to closely monitor the river regime, regulate canal withdrawals, and ensure the safe operation of barrage ponds,” the PDMA alert said.
This alert was shared with the deputy commissioners of Sialkot, Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Chiniot.
The PDMA urged authorities to ensure sufficient staffing round-the-clock in district emergency operation centers (DEOCs) for effective coordination and response and timely dissemination of information on safety measures and evacuation plans.
It directed administrations to make sure that heavy earth-moving machineries are placed at chokepoints and vulnerable areas to manage breaches and cuts, and to restore roads damaged by floods.
India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960, brokered by the World Bank, which divides control of the Indus basin rivers between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Both countries are required to share river-water information as per the treaty.
Last year, Pakistan accused India of not sharing river-water information in September 2025 the way it used to in previous years.
The accusation came after India said in April 2025 that it would hold the IWT “in abeyance” after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 26 tourists, an assault it blamed on Pakistan.
Islamabad denied any involvement and called New Delhi’s suspension of the pact illegal and “an act of war.”
