Islamabad – Pakistan – Amid devastating monsoon floods that swept through Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this season, concerns have surfaced about whether India intentionally released excess dam water to exacerbate the impact. However, water resource experts and environmental analysts dismiss these claims as unsubstantiated.
Dr. Hassaan Khan, a specialist in urban water systems, explained that India’s dams, such as Pong, Bhakra, and Madhopur, reached critical storage during unprecedented rainfalls. To prevent structural failure, authorities deployed spillways and released water—a routine process for managing overflow in extreme conditions. While Pakistan did receive minimal warning due to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, experts stress this was a timing and communication issue, not an act of aggression.
Water management researcher Muhammad Umer Karim added that the flooding aligned with natural hydrological patterns. Summer glacier melt and monsoon rainfall combine to swell rivers such as the Ravi and Sutlej. When dams approach capacity, spillway releases become necessary safeguards—not calculated moves to harm downstream regions.
Environmental lawyer Ahmed Rafay Alam further noted that both India and Pakistan operate similarly designed dam systems, making intentional flooding counterproductive. He highlighted that Indian communities were also severely affected, reinforcing the view that the crisis stemmed from weather extremes, not political maneuvers.
Finally, geographer Dr. Daanish Mustafa put the situation into perspective: no infrastructure, regardless of where it’s located, can halt the force of record rainfall. Flood risks will only grow as climate change intensifies, he warned.
In short, authorities and analysts conclude that while dam releases compounded Pakistan’s flood woes, available evidence points to natural disaster and system overload—not deliberate action—as the cause.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.