ISLAMABAD: The flooding in Punjab was made worse by New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the collapse of the gates on an Indian barrage.

The middle section of Madhopur barra­­ge, which spans the Ravi River in India, was washed away by surging water, the Reu­ters news agency reported, referring to video broadcast by Indian media a day earlier.

Pakistani officials said that this damage unleashed an uncontrolled flow across the border, flooding some parts of Lahore on Friday.

An Indian government source, while confirming that two gates of Madhopur barrage had broken, denied there had been any deliberate attempt to flood Pakistan.

Indian authorities say they are trying to stem the flow on the Ravi, despite the damage to the barrage, and the flow was being controlled by the Ranjit Sagar Dam upst­ream, Reuters quoted a source as saying.

The official claimed that India was doing whatever it could, blaming incessant rain for causing the flood.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2025