Nearly 150,000 people were evacuated to safer places as the risk of flooding increased after India released water into the Sutlej and Ravi rivers.

LAHORE, Pakistan - Pakistan has evacuated at least 150,000 people from flood-prone areas along three rivers in its agricultural heartland after neighboring India planned to release excess water from a dam, officials said on Tuesday.
The traditional rivals have been devastated by heavy rains and flooding in recent weeks. The release of excess water threatens to further submerge Pakistan’s Punjab province, which serves as the country’s breadbasket and a major part of its food supply.

The nuclear-armed countries have been at loggerheads since a brief conflict in May, their worst fighting in decades, and blaming New Delhi for any flooding could strain ties.

India routinely releases water from its dams when they are full, causing excess water to flow into Pakistan.

An Indian government source said he did not mention any specific dam but the heavy rains had prompted them to share a second warning with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. Asked if more warnings could be issued as the rains continued, he said it was possible.

New Delhi had said on Sunday that it had warned Pakistan that heavy rains would cause large amounts of water to flow into its waterways.

Three rivers, the Ravi, the Sutlej and the Chenab, flow into Pakistan from Indian territory. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday that these rivers were experiencing moderate to high levels of flooding.

A Pakistani disaster management official, Mazhar Hussain, said India would release a controlled amount of water from the dams in the coming days. He said hundreds of villages on the banks of the three rivers had been evacuated.