India Issues Humanitarian Flood Alerts to Pakistan Amid Treaty Suspension

In a surprising move that has drawn both appreciation and criticism, India issued flood warnings to Pakistan about rising water levels in the Tawi and Sutlej rivers. The warnings came directly through India’s High Commission in Islamabad, bypassing the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) framework, which remains suspended since April.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the communication was made on humanitarian grounds, given the scale of the ongoing monsoon crisis affecting millions on both sides of the border. This gesture marked the first such outreach since diplomatic ties hit a new low earlier this year.

India warns Pakistan of floods, message conveyed by Indian High Commissioner | India Today

Why the Flood Warnings Matter

On August 24, Indian authorities issued an alert about potential flooding in the Tawi River, a tributary of the Chenab that flows into Pakistan’s Punjab province. The very next day, two more alerts were issued regarding the Sutlej River, where rising levels threatened to inundate downstream settlements.

Floods this season have been catastrophic. Pakistan has already recorded nearly 800 deaths, while in India’s Jammu and Kashmir region, at least 60 people have lost their lives. Flash floods and cloudbursts in districts such as Doda and Kishtwar have caused additional casualties, destroyed infrastructure, and pushed the Tawi River dangerously close to breaching its banks.

Pakistan’s Reaction and Treaty Dispute

While Pakistan took immediate action by evacuating 150,000 residents in Punjab following India’s alerts, its Foreign Office expressed displeasure at the method of communication. Officials argued that under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, such warnings should flow through the Indus Commissioners rather than diplomatic channels. By bypassing the mechanism, Islamabad contends, India has undermined the treaty’s sanctity.

India, however, insists that since the treaty was suspended after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, communication through those channels is no longer valid. Instead, New Delhi views the warnings as an exceptional humanitarian measure, not a reinstatement of treaty obligations.

Escalating Flood Risks and Regional Impact

The heavy monsoon has placed both countries under immense strain. In Pakistan, authorities declared emergencies across multiple districts, shut down schools, and issued warnings along the Ravi and Sutlej rivers. In India, rising waters have led to flash floods, bridge collapses, and advisories urging people to stay away from low-lying areas.

Climate experts argue that such crises will only worsen with unpredictable weather patterns. They stress that despite political hostilities, India and Pakistan share ecosystems that demand cooperative disaster management to prevent large-scale human suffering.

Background: The Indus Waters Treaty in Crisis

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, has long been considered a rare example of India-Pakistan cooperation. The agreement divided control of the Indus river system, giving Pakistan rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) and India control of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej).

However, after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, India suspended the treaty, accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism. Since then, water has become another flashpoint in already fragile relations. Islamabad has accused New Delhi of weaponizing water and using floods as leverage, while India has pointed to Pakistan’s failure to curb cross-border terrorism.

Conclusion: A Humanitarian Gesture Amid Political Hostility

India’s decision to warn Pakistan of imminent floods highlights the complex interplay between humanitarian needs and political rivalry. While the move may have saved lives by enabling timely evacuations, it also reignited the debate over the future of the Indus Waters Treaty and whether bilateral cooperation can survive in the face of repeated crises.

Ultimately, the monsoon disaster underscores a pressing reality: climate emergencies do not respect borders. For the millions living along shared river systems, timely cooperation—however fragile—remains not just a diplomatic courtesy, but a necessity for survival.

(Sources: India Today, Moneycontrol, NDTV)