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A sudden surge in water levels of Jhelum River in Pakistan's Muzaffarabad and surrounding areas has caused panic among residents. Locals shared photos and videos on social media and blamed neighboring India.
Conflict over territory between India and Pakistan was intensified after an attack on tourists by five armed militants near Pahalgam in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, which killed 26 civilians on April 22, 2025. The incident is considered the deadliest event of its kind affecting India since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
The situation has heightened fears of a broader military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations, amid the most significant bilateral confrontation since 2019.
In retaliation for the terrorist attack in the contested Kashmir region, India had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and said it would stop the flow of water into Pakistan. DW Fact check takes a look at the details.
Claim: "Pakistan which was expecting a drought was suddenly given a flood," said this X user in a postthat has been viewed 2.7 million times. "Pakistan was waiting for the water to be stopped, but India surprised Pakistan by releasing more water in Jhelum."
Another postwith 1.6 million views showed water masses from a river flowing toward a parked car.
DW Fact check: False.
While it is true that there was more water than usual flowing through the riverbed on April 26, India did not stop or decrease the inflow of water into Pakistani rivers, according to a statement by Pakistan's
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)shared with DW's Urdu service.
We were able to geolocate the video posted on X and can confirm it was recorded in Muzaffarabad in April 2025.
Water levels in all rivers typically rise during this time of year due to snowmelt and rainfall in catchment areas. The amount of water in Pakistani rivers, coming upstream from India, is just about the daily average for the season, a WAPDA spokesperson said.
The water inflow in Jhelum River in Pakistan-administered Kashmir caused no flooding or any damage, he said, adding there was not even any major risk of flooding.
Kashmir: Farmers anxious amid India-Pakistan water conflict
The upstream Uri dam is an Indian hydroelectric power station on Jhelum River. According to the Indus Waters Treaty, India was only allowed to build such a plant without significant storage or dams in the three rivers allocated to Pakistan — meaning there isn't enough capacity to hold large amounts of water akin to water in a storage dam.
"India hasn't got the kind of immediate infrastructure to halt the waterflows, especially during flood times," Vagar Ahmed, an economist and team lead with UK consulting firm Oxford Policy Management, told news agency Reuters.
India did not inform Pakistan in advance about an increased inflow of water, Pakistan's WAPDA spokesperson said. The suspended water treaty previously required India to share hydrological data with Pakistan.
Indian authorities did not respond to requests for a statement.
Daniel Ebertz, Tilmann Wagner and DW's Urdu department contributed reporting.
Edited by: Astrid Prange de Oliveira
