New Delhi: India has alerted Pakistan about a flood alert in the Tawi river on humanitarian grounds, even as the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) continues to remain in abeyance in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said.
The communication was made to the Ministry of External Affairs, which then reached out to Islamabad, sources in the Jal Shakti Ministry said.
“While India used to exchange data with Pakistan before the suspension of the treaty, this move was made purely on humanitarian grounds,” a source said.
According to The News, citing official sources, India contacted Pakistan to share information about possible flooding.
There has been no official confirmation regarding the development by either India or Pakistan. Such inputs are usually shared through the Indus Water Commissioner.
The newspaper also claimed that India has alerted Pakistan about a possible major flood in the Tawi River in Jammu. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad conveyed the alert on Sunday, it added.
The paper, citing sources, said it was the first major contact of its kind since the May Pakistan-India conflict. Pakistani authorities have issued warnings based on the information provided by India, it added.
Torrential rains across the north of Pakistan have been reported since Thursday, causing flooding, rising waters, and landslides that have swept away entire villages and left many residents trapped in the rubble.
According to the provincial disaster agency, more than 320 deaths were reported in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The agency warned of new flash floods “until Thursday”.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rains across most parts of Pakistan until August 30.
The NDMA warning comes as the country reels from earlier monsoon spells from June 26 to August 20, which claimed over 788 lives and 1,018 injuries as of Saturday.
