India rebuts Pakistan's flood claim, cites monsoon as cause
UPSC / SSC current affairs note
Why in news
India's external affairs ministry rejected Pakistani allegations that India deliberately released river waters to cause flooding in Pakistan. The ministry cited Pakistan's own flood advisory attributing high river flows to heavy monsoon rainfall, not Indian actions.
Background
The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) governs water sharing between India and Pakistan. India suspended the treaty in 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack as a punitive measure. Recent heavy monsoon rains in Jammu and catchment areas increased Chenab river flows, leading to flooding in Pakistan.
Key facts
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described Pakistani allegations as 'baseless and contrary to facts'.
Increased Chenab river flow was due to intense monsoon rainfall over Jammu and adjoining catchment areas from July 20-23, 2026.
Pakistan's own Flood Forecasting Division (Lahore) issued an advisory on July 22, 2026, attributing high flood levels to heavy rainfall over the upper catchment.
The advisory stated high flows at Marala were expected to persist before gradually receding as rainfall increased.
Jaiswal said river flows on the Indian side did not reach 'extraordinary discharge levels' requiring special flood warnings.
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The MEA emphasized that the flood event was a natural hydrological response, not deliberate upstream intervention.
Prelims pointers
- Indus Waters Treaty (1960): water sharing between India and Pakistan
- Chenab River: originates in India, flows into Pakistan
- Marala Headworks: barrage on Chenab in Pakistan
- Flood Forecasting Division, Lahore: Pakistan's agency for flood advisories
- Pahalgam terror attack (2025): led to India suspending the treaty
Mains angles
- GS2: India-Pakistan bilateral relations and water disputes
- GS2: Indus Waters Treaty - provisions, suspension, and implications
- GS3: Disaster management - transboundary flood risks and cooperation
- GS2: Role of media in international disputes and fact-checking