Chenab Swells After Kashmir Floods, Raising Flood Alerts Across Punjab

When the clouds over Indian‑occupied Kashmir finally broke on the night of July 20, 2026, the rain came down like a wall. Within hours the region was pounded by flash floods that, according to local officials, left at least eleven people dead.

But the water didn’t stop at the border. By early morning the Chenab River—one of Pakistan’s lifelines—started to rise dramatically. A senior official from the Punjab Irrigation Department told reporters that the river’s flow peaked at roughly 180,000 cusecs for a brief two‑ to three‑hour burst, before easing to about 155,000 cusecs by 9 p.m. That still places the river squarely in the medium‑flood category, with the looming possibility of an upgrade to high‑flood status.

Adding a tragic note to the unfolding drama, a landslide in Kotli district of Azad Jammu & Kashmir knocked down a small house, killing a woman and her two children. Relief teams have been dispatched, but the loss underscores how the weather system is affecting both sides of the Line of Control.

Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting Division of the Pakistan Meteorological Department has sounded the alarm for the next 24 hours. Low‑to‑medium flooding is expected at the Marala barrage on the Chenab and at Jassar on the Ravi, while high‑flood warnings have been issued for the Chenab, Jhelum and their many tributary nullahs—Dora, Dotta, Dowara, Bhimber, Halsi, Aik, Palkhu and others. Urban‑flood alerts are also in place for several Punjab cities, including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan.

Water‑level data released by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) paint a fuller picture. The Indus, fed by the upstream Tarbela Dam, recorded an inflow of 196,300 cusecs and a nearly matching outflow. The Kabul River at Nowshera showed 31,700 cusecs in and out, while the Khairabad Bridge on the same river logged a massive 216,500 cusecs both ways. Downstream, the Jhelum’s Mangla Dam reported an inflow of about 29,400 cusecs, with outflow roughly half that figure.

One point of contention, however, is the lack of upstream information. The Punjab official noted that India has not yet shared any advance data on river flows, leaving Pakistani authorities to essentially react in real time.

All in all, the situation remains fluid—literally and figuratively. Residents along the Chenab are being urged to stay alert, keep emergency kits handy, and follow any instructions from local authorities. As the monsoon pushes deeper into the subcontinent, the hope is that early warnings and coordinated responses can keep the damage from spiralling out of control.