Flood Prone Kashmir
The Kashmir Valley, a region better known for its natural beauty, has a long and difficult history with floods. For centuries, the bowl-shaped valley and the mild slope of its main river, the Jhelum, have made it particularly vulnerable to heavy rainfall events. Whenever it rains for more than a few days the water levels start going up and those who live along the river find the boats parked on the bank start rising and people watching them from windows of the houses see them coming closer. Boatmen start anchoring them to poles or hooks of higher levels.
Floods by definition is an overflow of water that submerges the land that is usually dry. Although there are several types of floods but the commonest one is due to prolonged and heavy rainfall which we witnessed last week and the city escaped getting deluged narrowly. Recently we also witnessed flash floods due to cloud bursts in Kishtawar in Kashmir and Kathua in Jammu leading to loss of life and property of a large scale.
Historically an entry in the Tarikh-i-Hassan records that in 883 AD during the reign of King Avantivarman (855–883) an earthquake in Kashmir triggered a landslide that impounded the River Jhelum and flooded the Kashmir Valley. Kalhana’s Rajatarangini provides abundant details about how the ninth century engineer Suyya both cleared the natural dam, drained the valley and instituted numerous irrigations works.
It was during the British era that systematic records of flooding began, in the 18th and 19th centuries. A flood in 1893 was a very destructive even leading to lot of hardship especially for people living in the low lying areas around the Jhelum. The Great Flood of 1903, also known as the “Sanah Sheatukh Sailab” in local lore, was a devastating event in Kashmir caused by heavy rainfall from July 21-23, leading the Jhelum River to breach its banks and inundate Srinagar on July 23.
The flood was worse than the 1893 flood, submerging parts of the city under water for years. It resulted in significant damage to infrastructure, including the destruction of the old library and barracks, collapsed houses, and extensive damage to public works. The disaster prompted a massive relief effort by the inhabitants lead by Kashmiri Pandits. Following the disaster, the British-era authorities implemented flood-control measures such as constructing spill channels and improving dredging. Official data indicates that there have been at least 34 significant floods in the Jhelum basin since 1800, with a recurrence rate of approximately one every six years.
Notable floods in recent living memory include the years 1903, 1959, and most recently, the catastrophic floods of 2014. This event stands out as a “disaster of international magnitude.” Torrential rainfall in September 2014 caused the Jhelum River to swell far beyond its danger mark, submerging large parts of the valley, including the urban areas of Srinagar. The floods resulted in the death of hundreds of people and caused an estimated economic loss of Rs 1 trillion (approximately $15 billion), with widespread damage to infrastructure, including homes, businesses, and agricultural land. It also showed the resilience of Kashmiri people to rebuild their hard earnt properties and rehabilitate their business houses. Young generation joined the paramilitary forces to save lacks of population trapped on the top floors of their homes without rations out of their miserable condition.
The most recent, effects of which are still on, is the one in the first week of September 2025; Kashmir again faced a major flood threat. After several days of incessant and heavy rainfall, the Jhelum River and its tributaries rose to dangerous and scary levels, causing breaches in embankments and inundating low-lying areas. While timely actions by the administration helped prevent major loss of life, there has been significant damage to property and agricultural land. After a few days of the cessation of the rainfall once again clouds and rains are threatening though the prediction is it will settle down and the worst is over for the time being.
The floods in Kashmir are not merely a result of heavy rainfall but are compounded by a combination of natural and human-made factors: The bowl-like shape of the Kashmir Valley, combined with the very mild slope of the Jhelum River between Sangam and Wular Lake, results in a low flow velocity and a steep rise in water level during high discharge events. Experts point to climate change as a key factor. The monsoon season, which was once predictable, now brings erratic bursts of intense rainfall that overwhelm the region’s drainage systems. Human activities have significantly worsened the situation; unplanned and unregulated urbanization has led to the conversion of wetlands and floodplains into built-up areas.
This destroys the natural “sponges” that once absorbed excess water, leaving floodwaters nowhere to go. Illegal mining and deforestation with sand and gravel mining from riverbeds and deforestation along the riverbanks weaken the embankments, making them more susceptible to breaches. The “Flood Spill Channel”, a crucial safety valve for the Jhelum, has been neglected over the years and is often clogged with silt and debris, reducing its capacity to divert excess water.
In the aftermath of the 2014 floods, the central government initiated several projects to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster. A high-level committee was formed, leading to the development of the “Comprehensive Flood Management Plan” (CFMP). This plan included a range of measures: A major effort was launched to dredge the Jhelum River and its flood spill channel to increase their water-carrying capacity and strengthening embankments and wetland restoration like Hokersar to act as natural flood buffers. It is a designated Ramsar site, known as the “Queen Wetland of Kashmir” for its significance as a natural perennial wetland and a vital habitat for migratory birds from Central Asia and Siberia.
Despite the allocation of significant funds and the implementation of these projects, their effectiveness has been widely debated, particularly in light of the recent floods. Many observers and officials, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, have expressed frustration, arguing that a decade since the 2014 floods, little has been done to address the core vulnerabilities. While, authorities claim to have increased the river’s capacity through dredging, the fact that a few days of rain can still bring the Jhelum to dangerous levels raises serious questions about the success of these efforts.
Unchecked construction on floodplains and the shrinking of wetlands continue to pose a major threat. The slow pace of project implementation and alleged misuse of funds have been cited as major reasons for the continued vulnerability of the valley. The current flood situation in September 2025 is seen by many as a stark reminder that despite past promises and plans, the Kashmir Valley remains highly vulnerable to floods. The recurring disasters highlights the need for a holistic and sustained approach that goes beyond temporary fixes and addresses the systemic issues of environmental degradation, flawed urban planning which needs better governance. Is it possible before another threat comes in the coming future?
Prof Upendra Kaul, Founder Director
Gauri Kaul foundation
