Amid strained bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, New Delhi has reportedly extended an unexpected gesture of goodwill by alerting Islamabad about a possible major flood in the Tawi River in Jammu.

According to Pakistani media reports citing official sources, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad conveyed the alert on Sunday, marking the first time India has used its diplomatic mission to communicate such critical information rather than the longstanding Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) mechanism, which was suspended earlier this year.

While neither government has formally confirmed the development, Pakistani authorities are said to have acted upon the input and issued warnings in vulnerable areas, potentially saving lives as heavy monsoon rains continue to batter the region.

The suspension of the IWT mechanism followed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which militants targeted tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen. In retaliation, India placed the Indus Waters Treaty—an agreement brokered by the World Bank in 1960—under “abeyance.”

The treaty, which governs the shared waters of the Indus River system, divides control of rivers between the two nations: India receives full rights over the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—while Pakistan controls the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—with limited usage rights for India.

Although heavily criticised during various phases of conflict, the treaty has endured decades of hostilities, mainly because it helps manage flood risks and water distribution. However, after the recent suspension, India ceased transmitting hydrological data and flood forecasts to Pakistan—a move that significantly raised vulnerabilities in Pakistan during monsoon flooding.

In this context, India’s decision to bypass the broken treaty framework and directly inform Pakistan through its high commission is being read as a symbolic humanitarian gesture, even as political tensions remain high following a brief military conflict in May.

Despite differences, the alert underscores the importance of timely flood communication, particularly given the ongoing monsoon crisis wreaking havoc across Pakistan.

Since June 26, relentless rains have killed at least 788 people, including 200 children and 117 women, and injured more than a thousand, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.

The worst-hit areas include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which recorded 469 deaths, followed by Punjab (165 deaths), Sindh (51), Balochistan (24), Gilgit-Baltistan (45), Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (23), and Islamabad (8). Flash floods and landslides have devastated settlements, infrastructure, and farmlands in multiple provinces, further straining Pakistan’s emergency response systems.

Across the border, Indian authorities have also been placed on high alert as the Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Department intensified round-the-clock monitoring of river systems, including the Jhelum, Ravi, and Tawi rivers, alongside their tributaries.

With forecasts predicting moderate to heavy rainfall, flash floods, landslides, and even possible cloudbursts until August 27, officials have urged residents to avoid venturing near riverbanks and landslide-prone zones. The shared vulnerability of both nations to climate-driven floods highlights the critical role that cross-border water data has historically played in disaster preparedness.

Although India’s alert was a one-time communication channelled outside the now-suspended IWT framework, its impact has been significant. On the one hand, it has shown that humanitarian considerations still have a place even in deeply adversarial relations.

On the other, it demonstrates how fragile the water-sharing framework between the two nuclear neighbours has become, especially in light of terrorism, cross-border violence, and shifting geopolitical priorities.

Whether this goodwill gesture evolves into a partial revival of technical-level cooperation under the IWT or remains an isolated act of compassion in a time of crisis will depend on future political developments.

For now, however, Indian authorities’ alert and Pakistan’s prompt response highlight that shared rivers, once a source of contention, can also serve as channels for disaster prevention, even during some of the most difficult phases of bilateral relations.

Based On A NDTV Report