NEW DELHI — India on Friday strongly refuted allegations appearing in Pakistani media that it deliberately released river water to induce flooding downstream in Pakistan, labeling the claims as "baseless and contrary to the facts."
Addressing a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the recent swell in the Chenab River was purely a natural reaction to intense monsoon rainfall recorded across Jammu and neighboring catchment zones.
"Pakistani media reports alleging that India is deliberately causing flooding is baseless and contrary to the facts," Jaiswal told reporters. "The recent increase in flows in the River Chenab is a direct consequence of intense monsoon rainfall over Jammu and adjoining catchment areas during July 20 to 23."
Pakistan's Own Flood Advisories Contradict Claims
Pointing to official documentation from Islamabad’s own authorities, the MEA spokesperson highlighted that Pakistan's Flood Forecasting Division in Lahore had reached identical conclusions regarding rainfall patterns.
"Significantly, Pakistan's own flood forecasting division... in its flood advisory issued on July 22 at 17:18 hours local time, attributed the high flood levels in the Chenab river to heavy rainfall over the upper catchment area," Jaiswal noted. He added that the advisory explicitly anticipated high flows at Marala to persist before gradually receding as precipitation subsided.
"The rise in river flows is, therefore, a natural hydrological response to heavy rainfall and not the result of any deliberate action by India," Jaiswal emphasized. "Attempts to portray a weather-driven flood event as an upstream intervention are factually incorrect, technically untenable, and contradicted by Pakistan's own official flood advisories."
Clarification on Flood Warning Information
Dismissing further assertions that New Delhi withheld critical flood advisories, Jaiswal clarified that water discharge levels during the monsoon period did not cross thresholds requiring special emergency warnings under standard operational protocols.
He confirmed that observed river volumes aligned with typical seasonal patterns in the upper catchments. However, he reaffirmed India's commitment to humanitarian cooperation during extreme weather crises.
"Any suggestion that India deliberately withheld flood-related information is without factual basis," he remarked. "Nevertheless, like last year, India will share high-flood data with Pakistan on humanitarian grounds through diplomatic channels as and when a situation arises."
