India Rejects Pakistan Flood Claims Citing Monsoon-Driven Chenab Rise

India rejected Pakistan's allegations that it deliberately caused flooding in Pakistan, calling the claims baseless and stating that the Chenab River's rising levels were a natural result of heavy monsoon rainfall in upper catchment areas around July 20–23, 2026. Pakistan’s own Flood Forecasting Division had linked the Chenab discharge to monsoon rains, which India cited to back its stance. The MEA, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, emphasized that the flood event was a hydrological response and not an upstream Indian intervention, and dismissed claims of withheld or late flood warnings as unfounded. New Delhi said it would continue sharing real-time high-flood data with Islamabad for humanitarian reasons through established channels, despite ongoing tensions. The broader context includes the Indus Waters Treaty remaining in abeyance until Pakistan stops alleged cross-border support for terrorism, highlighting the strained security backdrop alongside the flood dispute. Overall, Delhi portrayed Pakistan’s accusations as contradicted by both Pakistani advisories and independent hydrological data while maintaining openness to data-sharing for relief purposes.