Pakistan says India released water in Sutlej without issuing prior warning

A general view of Sutlej River. (Shutterstock)

• The NDMA has issued a flood alert, warning the Punjab government and at least six district administrations
• Official statistics show 212 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Pakistan since July 1, 2019

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday accused India of releasing about 0.24 million cusecs of water into the Sutlej river without giving a prior warning, saying it could flood a substantial portion of Pakistani territory.
Talking to Arab News, the NDMA spokesman, Brig. Mukhtar Ahmed, said the water level in the river at Ganda Singh Wala – a Pakistani village in Kasur district located near the Indian border – was continuously rising.
“We have alerted Punjab’s provincial government and relevant district administrations to deal with the situation,” he said.
“Six districts in Punjab – namely Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Lodhran, Vehari and Bahawalpur – can be affected because of this,” Ahmed added.
He said that India usually informed Pakistani authorities before releasing additional water in the river, but “this time we were not informed and it has created an alarming situation.”
According to the NDMA, the additional water would enter Pakistan today, August 19, 2019.
“Water flow in all other rivers is normal,” he said, adding: “We are only monitoring the Sutlej and Indus rivers.”
NDMA statistics show 212 people have been killed and 155 others injured in rain-related incidents in Pakistan since July 1, 2019 due to the ongoing monsoon rainfalls.
Pakistan faces flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season which usually runs from July to September.