{"id":52229,"date":"2025-09-05T00:50:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T04:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/has-india-weaponised-water-to-deliberately-flood-pakistan\/05\/09\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T00:50:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T04:50:45","slug":"has-india-weaponised-water-to-deliberately-flood-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/has-india-weaponised-water-to-deliberately-flood-pakistan\/05\/09\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Has India \u2018weaponised water\u2019 to deliberately flood Pakistan?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013<\/strong> For the second time in three years, <span>catastrophic monsoon floods<\/span> have carved a path of destruction across Pakistan\u2019s north and central regions, particularly in its Punjab province, submerging villages, drowning farmland, <span>displacing millions<\/span> and <span>killing hundreds<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This year, India \u2013 Pakistan\u2019s archrival and a nuclear-armed neighbour \u2013 is also reeling. Its <span>northern states<\/span>, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Indian Punjab, have seen widespread flooding as heavy monsoon rains swell rivers on both sides of the border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pakistani authorities say that since late June, when the monsoon season began, at least 884 people have died nationally, more than 220 of them in Punjab. On the Indian side, the casualty count has crossed 100, with more than 30 dead in Indian Punjab.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Yet, shared suffering hasn\u2019t brought the neighbours closer: In Pakistan\u2019s Punjab, which borders India, federal minister Ahsan Iqbal has, in fact, accused New Delhi of deliberately releasing excess water from dams without timely warnings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIndia has started using water as a weapon and has caused wide-scale flooding in Punjab,\u201d Iqbal said last month, citing releases into the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers, all of which originate in Indian territory and flow into Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Iqbal further said that releasing flood water was the \u201cworst example of water aggression\u201d by India, which he said threatened lives, property and livelihoods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cSome issues should be beyond politics, and water cooperation must be one of them,\u201d the minister said on August 27, while he participated in rescue efforts in Narowal city, his constituency that borders India.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Those accusations come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, and the breakdown of a six-decade-old pact that helped them share waters for rivers that are lifelines to both nations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But experts argue that the evidence is thin to suggest that India might have deliberately sought to flood Pakistan \u2013 and the larger nation\u2019s own woes point to the risks of such a strategy, even if New Delhi were to contemplate it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Weaponising water<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Flood-affected people walk along the shelters at a makeshift camp in Chung, in Pakistan\u2019s Punjab province, on August 31, 2025. Nearly half a million people have been displaced by flooding in eastern Pakistan after days of heavy rain swelled rivers [Aamir Qureshi\/AFP]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Relations between India and Pakistan, already at a historic low, plummeted further in April after the <span>Pahalgam attack<\/span>, in which gunmen killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack and walked out of the <span>Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)<\/span>, the transboundary agreement that governs the Indus Basin\u2019s six rivers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pakistan rejected the accusation that it was in any way behind the Pahalgam attack. But in early May, the neighbours waged a\u00a0<span>four-day conflict<\/span>, targeting each other\u2019s military bases with missiles and drones in the gravest military escalation between them in almost three decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Under the IWT, the two countries were required to exchange detailed water-flow data regularly. With India no longer adhering to the pact, fears have mounted in recent months that New Delhi could either try to stop the flow of water into Pakistan, or flood its western neighbour through sudden, large releases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After New Delhi <span>suspended its participation in the IWT<\/span>, India\u2019s Home Minister Amit Shah in June said the treaty would never be restored, a stance that prompted protests in Pakistan and accusations of \u201cwater terrorism\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But while the Indian government has not issued a formal response to accusations that it has chosen to flood Pakistan,\u00a0the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has, in the last two weeks, shared several warnings of possible cross-border flooding on \u201chumanitarian grounds\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">And water experts say that attributing Pakistan\u2019s floods primarily to Indian water releases from dams is an \u201coversimplification\u201d of the causes of the crisis that risks obscuring the urgent, shared challenges posed by climate change and ageing infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe Indian decision to release water from their dam has not caused flooding in Pakistan,\u201d said Daanish Mustafa, a professor of critical geography at King\u2019s College London.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIndia has major dams on its rivers, which eventually make their way to Pakistan. Any excess water that will be released from these rivers will significantly impact India\u2019s own states first,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Shared monsoon strain<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Both Pakistan and India depend on glaciers in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges to feed their rivers. For Pakistan, the Indus river basin is a lifeline. It supplies water to most of the country\u2019s roughly 250 million people and underpins its agriculture.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A view of houses submerged in floodwaters.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"770\" height=\"512\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/W6Jv.LAICR6FISo74AAMow--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzODtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/9924e8097064133a1f6f5bb6b22bccdd\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Pakistan\u2019s monsoon floods have pushed the nationwide death toll past 800, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes due to surging water [A Hussain\/EPA]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Under the IWT, India controls the three eastern rivers \u2013 Ravi, Sutlej and Beas \u2013 while Pakistan controls the three western rivers, Jhelum, Chenab and Indus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">India is obligated to allow waters of the western rivers to flow into Pakistan with limited exceptions, and to provide timely, detailed hydrological data.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">India has built dams on the eastern rivers it controls, and the flow of the Ravi and Sutlej into Pakistan has considerably reduced since then. It has also built dams on some of the western rivers \u2013 it is allowed to, under the treaty, as long as that does not affect the volume of water flowing into Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But melting glaciers and an unusually intense summer monsoon pushed river levels on both sides of the border dangerously high this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In Pakistan, glacial outbursts followed by heavy rains raised levels in the western rivers, while surging flows put infrastructure on the eastern rivers in India at serious risk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Mustafa of King\u2019s College said that dams \u2013 like other infrastructure \u2013 are designed keeping in mind a safe capacity of water that they can hold, and are typically meant to operate for about 100 years. But climate change has dramatically altered the average rainfall that might have been taken into account while designing these projects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe parameters used to build the dams are now obsolete and meaningless,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen the capacity of the dams is exceeded, water must be released or it will put the entire structure at risk of destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Among the major dams upstream in Indian territory are Salal and Baglihar on the Chenab; Pong on the Beas; Bhakra on the Sutlej; and Ranjit Sagar (also known as Thein) on the Ravi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">These dams are based in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, with vast areas of\u00a0Indian territory between them and the border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Blaming India for the flooding in Pakistan makes no sense, said Shiraz Memon, a former Pakistani representative on the bilateral commission tasked under the IWT to monitor the implementation of the pact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cInstead of acknowledging that India has shared warnings, we are blaming them of water terrorism. It is [a] simple, natural flood phenomenon,\u201d Memon said, adding that by the end of August, reservoirs across the region were full.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWith water at capacity, spillways had to be opened for downstream releases. This is a natural solution as there is no other option available,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Politics of blame<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Rescuers search for missing flash flood victims in remote Kashmir village\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/SwCRudCVvR21uHe1tcvuaQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/81f15a543dfbf0565be6b67347a9814c\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Stranded pilgrims cross a water channel using a makeshift bridge the day after flash floods in Chositi village, Kishtwar district, in Indian-administered Kashmir last month [Channi Anand\/AP Photo]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">According to September 3 data on India\u2019s Central Water Commission website, at least a dozen sites face a \u201csevere\u201d flood situation, and another 19 are above normal flood levels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The same day, Pakistan\u2019s Ministry of Water Resources issued a notification, quoting a message from the Indian High Commission, warning of \u201chigh flood\u201d on the Sutlej and Tawi rivers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It was the fourth such notice by India after three earlier warnings last week, but none contained detailed hydrological data.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pakistan\u2019s Meteorological Department, in a report on September 4, said on the Pakistani side, two sites on the Sutlej and Ravi faced \u201cextremely high\u201d flood levels, while two other sites on the Ravi and Chenab saw \u201cvery high\u201d levels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The sheer volume of water during an intense monsoon often exceeds any single dam or barrage\u2019s capacity. Controlled releases have become a necessary, if dangerous, part of flood management on both sides of the border, said experts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They added that while the IWT obliged India to alert Pakistan to abnormal flows, Pakistan also needs better monitoring and real-time data systems rather than relying solely on diplomatic exchanges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The blame game, analysts warn, can serve short-term political purposes on both sides, especially after May\u2019s conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For India, suspending the treaty is framed as a firm stance against what it sees as Pakistan\u2019s state-sponsored terrorism. For Pakistan, blaming India can provide a political scapegoat that distracts from domestic failures in flood mitigation and governance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cRivers are living, breathing entities. This is what they do; they are always on the move. You cannot control the flood, especially a high or severe flood,\u201d academic Mustafa said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Blaming India won\u2019t stop the floods. But, he added, it appears to be an \u201ceasy way out to relinquish responsibility\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/india-weaponised-water-deliberately-flood-043955493.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Islamabad, Pakistan &ndash; For the second time in three years, catastrophic monsoon floods have carved a path of destruction across Pakistan&rsquo;s north<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/has-india-weaponised-water-to-deliberately-flood-pakistan\/05\/09\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/lP7X4UrtfnimTMvPWoSJIA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD04NDI7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/al_jazeera_289\/5748cd8033ab11e8d8177f4fc3856845","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52229"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}