Pakistan once again dealt with floods in the monsoon months after heavy rains pounded multiple areas of the country.
However, another added factor in floods in Pakistan is the release of water from India, as the neighboring country grapples with the monsoon rains as well.
Two Indian dams, the Bhakra and the Pong, have a key bearing on how much water is released into Pakistan and both saw large inflows this year.
The Pong dam, opened in 1974, has a maximum capacity of 1,421 feet. It has crossed the maximum capacity or cam close three times, 1,405 feet in September 1978, 1404.23 feet in September 1988, and 1403.20 feet in October 1977.
The high points usually happen in September or October when authorities are looking to manage irrigation water for the rest of the year.
However, something unusual happened when the dam hit its high water mark in August. Water reached 1,399.65 feet on August 15, above the safety mark of 1,390 feet.
Similar things have happened with the Bhakra dam. The dam has a maximum capacity of 1,690 feet and safety mark of 1,680 feet.
Water in the dam has normally come close to danger levels in September in the years past. The saftery mark has been crossed twice in August, but on much later dates - 1680.28 feet on August 31, 1982 and 1680.82 feet on August 20, 2019.
However, like the Pong, the Bhakra dam also uncharacteristically filled up sooner, it reached 1,677 feet just three feet shy of the saftey mark on August 14.
With both dams filled up and Pakistan still reeling from rains earlier this year, the amount of water in the two dams could pose more risk to Pakistan.
