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ISLAMABAD: India has approved the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), a move that violates the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which governs water sharing between Pakistan and India.&nbsp;The construction on the project, estimated to cost about 327.7 billion Indian rupees (about $3.65 billion), is expected to begin early next year and will be developed by India&rsquo;s state-run &nbsp;National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited. It is designed to generate 260 megawatts of electricity, according to Indian media reports. &#39;Flagrant violation&#39; Pakistani lawmaker Sherry Rehman raised strong objections, saying the project breaches treaty provisions covering the western rivers &mdash; the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab &mdash; allocated largely to Pakistan under the World Bank-brokered agreement.&nbsp;Rehman, Pakistan&rsquo;s former climate change minister, said India&rsquo;s decision amounted to a &ldquo;flagrant violation&rdquo; of the treaty.&nbsp;&ldquo;The IWT&nbsp;cannot be unilaterally revoked, as recent UN rapporteurs have also confirmed,&rdquo; she said in remarks posted on X. &ldquo;Pakistan has control over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej fall under India&rsquo;s control.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 635px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005509781063373054&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3111%2F&sessionId=6aea73df3a5fbbfbca8118eceaa43cf257cf59db&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Rehman said India was fast-tracking several disputed hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin following what Pakistan describes as an illegal suspension of treaty mechanisms. She listed Sawalkot, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru and Kirthai-1 and 2 among the projects, adding that Dulhasti Stage-II was part of the same strategy. &#39;Weaponization of water&#39;She warned the &ldquo;weaponization of water&rdquo; would deepen tensions in an already strained bilateral relationship. &ldquo;This is neither sane nor acceptable in a region on the frontlines of climate change and environmental stress,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;The approval comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors over disputed Kashmir. Pakistan has said it remains committed to the Indus Waters Treaty and will continue to participate in dispute-resolution mechanisms, including proceedings before neutral experts. In August, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that India must allow the waters of the western rivers to flow for Pakistan&rsquo;s use, according to Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office.&nbsp;Dulhasti Stage-II will use existing infrastructure from the 390-MW Dulhasti Stage-I plant, commissioned in 2007. Under the plan, water from the Marusudar River will be diverted through the Pakal Dul project to boost power generation, a move Indian authority have acknowledged could alter natural river flows downstream.&nbsp;India maintains that its hydropower projects comply with treaty provisions and has sought changes to streamline approval procedures. The treaty does not allow either country to unilaterally suspend or terminate the agreement.

Foreign Affairs

Indian media says the construction on the project is expected to begin early next year and will be developed by India’s state-run NHPC Limited.

India approves hydropower project on Chenab in violation of Indus Waters Treaty

ISLAMABAD: Intermittent monsoon rains have caused chaos across southern Pakistan, with Karachi and other parts of Sindh dealing with urban flooding, and southern Punjab facing a severe flood emergency as a second wave moves through the Chenab and Sutlej rivers. Karachi: Urban flooding stalls the cityKarachi was drenched by persistent rain overnight into Wednesday morning, leading to widespread disruption and flooding in low-lying neighborhoods. The highest rainfall was recorded in Surjani Town at 116 mm, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The heavy rain caused urban flooding, overflowing streams, and the spilling of major nullahs and rivers, including the Malir, Thado Dam, and Memon Goth, resulting in water flooding the streets and cutting off key transportation links, such as the Superhighway and National Highway. Many areas, including Sohrab Goth, Hasan Nauman Colony, and Saadi Town, were submerged, forcing residents to evacuate. Authorities ordered schools to close, and the Pakistan Army was deployed to assist with rescue operations. Sindh faces heavy rainsThe tenth monsoon spell has intensified across Sindh, with Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Badin, Sehwan, and Sujawal receiving heavy downpours. In Hyderabad, major urban centers like Latifabad and Qasimabad remain waterlogged. In Jamshoro and Sehwan, rising waters from hills and streams disrupted roads and flooded residential and commercial areas. In rural parts of Nowshero Feroze, Dadu, and Mirpurkhas, overflowing drains submerged crops, raising fears of agricultural losses. South Punjab: Flood emergency declaredMeanwhile, in southern Punjab, authorities are managing a dual flood threat as rivers swell with upstream inflows. On Wednesday, Pakistan&rsquo;s disaster management authority warned of high flood levels in the Sutlej River after water flows at Harike and Ferozepur in India crossed danger levels. The PDMA warned that districts including Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Muzaffargarh could be impacted. At the same time, a second flood wave in the Chenab River has prompted mass evacuations across Multan and nearby districts. As the floodwaters surged through Head Muhammadwala and Shershah bridges, officials called the situation an &ldquo;unprecedented flood emergency.&rdquo; The water level at Shershah was just below the critical 393.50-foot mark. Authorities warned that if levels rise further, embankments might be intentionally breached to ease pressure&mdash;a move that could displace over 30,000 people and affect 8,000 homes. By Tuesday, more than 185,000 people had already been affected in Muzaffargarh and Rangpur. In Jalalpur Pirwala alone, 50 villages were submerged, forcing the evacuation of more than 235,000 residents and 180,000 livestock to safer areas. Multan Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid Sindhu confirmed that a flood flow of 500,000 cusecs from Head Trimmu had reached Head Muhammadwala, increasing pressure on flood defenses. He added that emergency measures would stay in place for at least the next 24 hours. Conflicting forecasts cause concernConflicting weather forecasts have created uncertainty among people in the affected regions. PDMA Punjab stated on Tuesday that the tenth monsoon spell had ended and dismissed the possibility of further flood waves. However, a senior official from the Pakistan Meteorological Department disagreed, warning that monsoon activity in India had not yet ended and could lead to a third flood wave downstream in Pakistan.&nbsp;

Climate & Environment

Monsoon rains trigger severe flooding in southern Pakistan, affecting Karachi, Sindh, and South Punjab, mass evacuations underway amid ongoing flood emergency.

Articles tagged with "Chenab river"

India approves hydropower project on Chenab in violation of Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan braces for more rain amid widespread flooding in Sindh, Punjab