Has India unleashed a water war on Pakistan? Flood alert issued in PoK’s Muzaffarabad as Jhelum swells—Here’s what we know so far
Tension gripped Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Saturday afternoon after a sudden, alarming rise in the River Jhelum’s water levels triggered emergency alerts across Muzaffarabad. Residents, already on edge after a week of heightened India-Pakistan tensions, allege that India released the water without any prior warning to Pakistani authorities.
From the Chakothi border to Muzaffarabad city, locals watched in growing horror as the river swelled rapidly, forcing emergency sirens to blare and mosques to broadcast urgent warnings. Entire villages along the riverbanks — Hattian Bala, Ghari Dupatta, Majhoi — were thrown into chaos, with families scrambling to evacuate to safer ground.
“This was completely unexpected,” said a resident of Ghari Dupatta, describing how mosque loudspeakers urged residents to flee immediately. “The panic is real. No one knows how bad it could get.”
Pakistan claims the sudden surge is no accident but a deliberate tactic by India — part of a broader strategy to weaponize water flows following the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this week. Political analyst Javed Siddique didn’t mince words: “India’s threat to put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance was not idle talk. Today’s water release was a message — loud and clear.”
The Muzaffarabad administration confirmed the unusual spike in water levels, officially declaring a water emergency in parts of PoK. Reports suggest the sudden torrent flowed from India’s Anantnag district through Chakothi — a stark reminder of how geography and geopolitics are deeply intertwined in this volatile region.
Social media was awash with videos from PoK, showing the river Jhelum raging in full spate.
“India’s reckless release of excess water into the Jhelum River from Anantnag has dangerously raised water levels, threatening lives and livelihoods downstream. India should be dealt with accordingly and stop this water terrorism,” another Pakistani bewailed.
Experts warn that India’s move — if proven intentional — could further erode the fragile peace the Indus Waters Treaty has sustained for over six decades, even through three wars.
Earlier this week, India took a decisive move as it suspended the Indus Water Treaty following the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack, which led to the deaths of 27 tourists and left several injured as Islamic terrorists opened fire on them after confirming their Hindu identities.
In its wake, PM Modi convened a CCS meeting that decided to suspend 1960’s IWT water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan. Besides IWT suspension, the Indian government has also tightened the noose around terror sponsor from Pakistan as it closed the Attari-Wagah border and asked Pakistanis, including those on medical grounds, to leave India before April 29.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a “neutral and transparent” investigation into the Pahalgam incident. In a sign of deepening regional concern, Iran and Saudi Arabia have reportedly offered to mediate between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
As the waters rise, so too do fears — not just of floods, but of a larger political storm that could sweep the subcontinent.
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