Pakistani authorities carried out a controlled explosion to release rising water pressure on a protective embankment of the Qadirabad Barrage following heavy rainfall.
On Wednesday (August 27), the blast triggered severe flooding that submerged the historic Kartarpur Sahib, one of the holiest religious sites for the Sikh community.
Due to relentless monsoon rains in India, water levels in the cross-border rivers Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rose drastically, prompting authorities in Punjab province to issue a high flood alert.
According to Punjab’s Disaster Management Authority spokesperson Mazhar Hussain, the decision was made to save the barrage infrastructure:
“We deliberately destroyed the right-side protection embankment to reduce the pressure on the dam.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that India had issued an advance diplomatic notice before releasing excess water from its dams. However, Indian officials have yet to respond publicly on the matter.
The Disaster Management Authority has urged residents along the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers to evacuate immediately and move to safer areas.
With nearly half of Pakistan’s population living in Punjab, the military has been deployed to assist in relocating millions of people and livestock from high-risk flood zones to prevent a large-scale humanitarian disaster.
