HAVING endured one of its worst floods last year — triggered by intense monsoons and compounded by sudden water releases into the Chenab and Ravi from across the border — Punjab is preparing for ‘high floods’ this year, even though the situation has been normal so far. The decision signifies that flood management is being shaped by caution rather than data and certainty. The caution stems from a critical information gap created by India’s continued withholding of upstream river-flow data following its unilateral and illegal suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. In such circumstances, where early warning systems are deprived of vital upstream........

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