Pakistan is reeling from a second massive flood surge in the Chenab River, triggered by India’s release of water from occupied Jammu’s Akhnoor region, exacerbating an already dire situation. With Head Marala recording an extremely high flood level, the Chenab Bridge has been closed to traffic, and authorities remain on high alert.

On September 3, 2025, India released 800,000 cusecs of water from the Salal Dam into the Chenab River without formal notification, following a similar release of 900,000 cusecs days earlier, per the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Head Marala recorded a water flow of 770,000 cusecs, classified as “exceptionally high,” prompting the closure of the Chenab Bridge in Sialkot to all traffic. The flood wave is advancing toward Head Khanki, where authorities have prepared a controlled breach if flows exceed 600,000 cusecs to protect downstream areas like Gujrat and Hafizabad. The NDMA warns that the Chenab at Panjnad could reach “very high” flood levels by September 4–5, threatening further devastation.

In Bhawwal, severe erosion near Taalib Wala Patan has destroyed thousands of acres of farmland, while mosque announcements have urged residents of 450 villages along the Chenab to evacuate. The Ravi River has also impacted Multan, with floodwaters crossing railway tracks near Abdul Hakeem. To protect the Akbar Flood Bund, officials are planning a breach at Head Muhammad Wala if water pressure becomes unsustainable, with flows expected to hit 650,000 cusecs.

India’s unnotified releases have sparked accusations of “water aggression,” straining the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which governs shared river management. The Indian High Commission shared limited data for the Tawi River but failed to notify Pakistan about Chenab releases, per NDMA reports. Earlier, India’s Madhopur Barrage on the Ravi River collapsed, unleashing uncontrolled flows into Lahore’s Shahdara area, exacerbating flooding. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry is collecting data on these actions, with senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb calling the situation “unprecedented” due to the simultaneous flooding of the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, a phenomenon unseen since 1988.