India warns Pakistan of more cross-border flooding due to heavy monsoon rains
NN ONLINE:
India warned Pakistan about possible cross-border flooding for the second time in as many weeks as monsoon deluges cause death and widespread destruction in both countries.
The disaster management authority in eastern Pakistan announced the warning Tuesday.
New Delhi shared the warning with Pakistan on “humanitarian grounds” through New Delhi’s high commission in Islamabad rather than the water-sharing Indus Waters Treaty, which remains suspended, an Indian government official said.
Pakistan conducted mass evacuations late last month after India released water from overflowing dams and swollen rivers into low-lying border regions.
The countries came close to war in May and tensions frequently escalate between the two nuclear-armed rivals, making diplomatic contact uncommon.
The latest warning concerns a surge in the Sutlej River, with floodwaters expected to enter Pakistan on Wednesday. Raging torrents already have devastated border communities in Kasur, Okara, Vehari and Bahawalnagar.
Punjab’s Disaster Management Authority said the Indian High Commission conveyed the warning to Pakistan through the Ministry of Water Resources.
Downpours lashed several parts of northern India and killed at least 10 people over the past 24 hours. Authorities were forced to close some schools and offices on Tuesday.
Landslides, flooding and gushing rivers in India’s Punjab state, home to more than 30 million people, killed at least 29 people last month. Rescue teams, backed by the army and disaster response services, have evacuated thousands from homes impacted by floods.
In New Delhi, water levels of the Yamuna River, which originates in the Himalayas, crossed the danger mark Tuesday, posing a threat of flooding in low-lying areas of the city.
Heavy rains also flooded parts of Gurugram city on the outskirts of the capital, causing severe traffic disruptions while waterlogging roads and apartments.
Officials in Pakistan’s Punjab province said Tuesday that more than 1 million people have been evacuated and 2.45 million people have been affected by monsoon flooding in recent months.