Pakistan-occupied Kashmir ( PoK ) has been in chaos as a sudden increase in the water level of the Jhelum river, according to local authorities. India, according to local authorities, released water from the Uri Dam on Saturday without any prior notice.
Occupants along the riverbanks frantically flee to safer floor because of the sudden discharge that caused a water crisis in PoK’s Hattian Bala area.
The move heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with Pakistani authorities calling it a violation of international law and the Indus Waters Treaty ( IWT). In response to the evil assault in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed by jihadists, India suspended the IWT on April 23.
As water levels rose quickly, local authorities in Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, and Chakoti sounded warnings through monitors urging residents to leave. ” We didn’t give a damn.” We are battling to defend lives and property as the water comes in from Dumel, a PoK town, said Muhammad Asif, a citizen.
A city state official in Muzaffarabad issued a small statement warning people to avoid areas close to the Jhelum valley. There is reasonable flooding, according to the spokesperson, “because India releases more water into the Jhelum river than typical.”
Unverified reports of livestock loss losses and crop damage have been reported in the low-lying Kohala and Dhalkot regions, with moderate flooding.
India has been accused of intentional “water terrorism” by the PoK government, citing the lack of due warning as a violation of the IWT, a 1960 agreement that the World Bank brokered to manage shared river waters. Both countries are required to reveal information on water releases in accordance with the agreement to stop downstream injury.
According to officials in PoK, the urgent priority is still being to protect people. The management of Hattian Bala has mobilized rescue groups and established temporary shelters. District director Bilal Ahmed said,” We’re doing everything we can, but the scope of this issue is overwhelming.”
Additionally, authorities have urged people to avoid riverbanks and avoid bringing their cattle fish or grazing near the water. Representatives from India have maintained a tight-lipped attitude toward the launch, keeping it secret. However, some Indian media outlets claim that Jammu and Kashmir’s heavy rains necessitated a regular reservoir operation.
