LAHORE : India is bound to inform Pakistan before releasing water from its dams into Pakistan's rivers under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, Director General Meteorological department Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman said on Thursday. He issued a special advisory for Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers in view of persistent rumours about the coming floods in these three eastern rivers of the country as under:

SUTLEJ RIVER: According to Indus Water Treaty, India shall inform Pakistan when the release of water from Ferozepur down stream increases to 50,000 Cusecs or more. India has not yet informed Pakistan regarding the release of such quantity of water from Ferozepur. The slight rise in water at Ganda Singh Wala is only due to rains in the lower catchments of Sutlej below Bhakra dam. As such the water in Sutlej is likely to remain around 50,000 cusecs in the next two days.

RIVER RAVI: The rains in the area below Madhopur headworks and in the catchment of nullahs of River Ravi (Deg, Bein, Kethar, Ujh, Basanter) have caused a slight increase in the inflow at Jassar and Shahdara. However, the situation is not dangerous. According to Indus Treaty, India shall inform Pakistan when they release the water from Madhopur headworks more than 30,000 cusecs and they have not yet informed. Therefore it is presumed that the flow in River Ravi shall remain below low flood level ie 40,000 cusecs.

RIVER CHENAB: The prevailing conditions suggest that the chances of heavy rains in the catchments of river Chenab are minimum during the next two days. Therefore there is no imminent danger of any flood in river Chenab. However some rains may cause slightly increased flow in river Chenab, which may not be taken as dangerous situation. The flow shall remain at low flood level (around 1,00,000 cusecs) during the next 2 to 3 days.

Qamar further stated that the possibility of heavy rains in the catchments of the above mentioned rivers during next 48 hours are low. However warning would be issued when any information regarding release of water from India is received. Keeping in view the above scenario, he said the local administration should take precautionary measures to get the people evacuated from riverbed and from within the banks of above mentioned rivers.