Published on, Aug. 26 -- August 26, 2025 12:41 AM

The monsoon floods this year have once again underlined a simple truth: rivers do not stop at borders. With hundreds dead in Pakistan and thousands displaced, the fury of swollen rivers has drowned entire villages.

It was in this moment that India, despite suspending the Indus Waters Treaty earlier this year, quietly sent an alert about possible flooding in the River Tawi. The warning, routed through diplomatic channels rather than through the Commission, prompted Pakistan's Foreign Office to lodge a protest.

Even so, the alert enabled authorities in Punjab to issue advisories and prepare relief. Amid deep mistrust, data still found its way across.

This episode illustrates both the fra...