India Shares Flood Data with Pakistan on Humanitarian Grounds Despite Suspended Treaty
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that India is sharing high flood data with Pakistan through diplomatic channels, citing humanitarian considerations. This cooperation comes amid severe monsoon rainfall and flooding in the region and continues despite the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. The information sharing aims to help mitigate the impact of the floods, representing a notable instance of 'hydro-diplomacy' between the two nations, whose formal diplomatic and water-sharing ties remain strained.
Unpacked:
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The action was part of a series of punitive measures against Pakistan, with India asserting that 'blood and water cannot flow together.'
Since the suspension, India shares flood data with Pakistan through diplomatic channels instead of the Indus Water Commission. Pakistani officials state the information is less detailed than before, and the established treaty mechanisms are not currently being used.
Both countries have experienced unusually heavy rainfall, causing severe flooding. In Pakistan, the floods have submerged 1,400 villages, displaced over a million people, and caused hundreds of deaths, especially in Punjab province.
Pakistan criticizes India for not providing as much detail as in previous years and for bypassing the Indus Water Commission. Pakistani officials urge India to fully comply with all treaty provisions and to use established channels for data sharing.