EPG to submit updated flood report to High Court today

Srinagar, Sep 7: On the 11th anniversary of the 2014 floods, the Environmental Policy Group (EPG) paid tribute to the resilience of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones in one of the region’s worst natural disasters.

As per the statement issued, the Group recalled that it had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), EPG vs Union of India & Others, before the Division Bench of the Hon’ble High Court immediately after the floods, naming 16 Union and J&K Government departments as respondents. The petition sought judicial intervention for enhancing the carrying capacity of the Jhelum and conserving associated water bodies. While the High Court issued several pathbreaking directions, EPG noted that implementation has remained cosmetic at best.

The 2014 floods devastated villages, bridges, hospitals, and farms across J&K, choking the Jhelum with silt and debris. More than a decade later, EPG warned that the region remains as vulnerable as it was in 2014, with no comprehensive mitigation plan in place.

Faiz Ahmed Bakshi, Convenor of EPG, highlighted that present-day flood risk is largely due to human-induced degradation — illegal tree felling, unregulated land use, deforestation, reckless road construction, and deep riverbed mining with heavy machinery. Encroachments on wetlands and riverbanks, he said, have stripped the Valley of its natural sponges, causing rainwater to rush unchecked into the Jhelum. Wular Lake has lost nearly a third of its storage capacity, while Hokersar, Haigam, Shallabugh, Mirgund, and Narakara wetlands have been drastically reduced by encroachment, construction, and waste dumping.

EPG underlined that failure to increase the carrying capacity of the Jhelum, flood channels, and wetlands has caused repeated loss of life, property, and livelihoods. Bakshi urged the government to take up scientific, continuous dredging backed by satellite surveys and sediment studies, rather than piecemeal, abandoned work.

Equally pressing, the Group said, is the restoration of the historic flood spill channel, repair of weakened embankments, and overhaul of Srinagar’s outdated drainage system. “The protection of lives and livelihoods must take precedence over piecemeal works and unexplained delays,” the statement said.

EPG confirmed it is compiling ground reports from the recent floods and will submit them to the High Court of Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh on September 8, when its PIL comes up for hearing. The Court had earlier sought EPG’s recommendations, which were submitted last month after consulting flood experts.

On this solemn anniversary, EPG also paid homage to the youth who risked their lives in 2014 to save thousands. Reaffirming its commitment, the Group said it would continue to pursue scientific, transparent, and community-driven solutions in court and through public engagement, including a planned seminar of experts whose recommendations will be submitted to the government.