Where are Jhelum’s floodplains?

Exactly after 11 years of the devastating floods in Kashmir, we are still grappling with flood threats with just a few days of rains. Ironical but true!

It is clear that flood mitigation measures have been minimal in the last over a decade. Why did the authorities sit on this serious issue? This question needs answers. But if we analyse the works done so far on Jhelum, these mostly revolve around enhancing aesthetic beauty but not increasing its carrying capacity.

It may sound shocking that no dredging has been undertaken in Jhelum or its flood channel in the last 5 years!

If we analyse statistics at Ram Munshii Bagh gauge station, the Jhelum river rose from 12.61 ft at 8 am on September 3, 2025 to 22.4 ft at 3 am on September 4. This means an increase of around 10 feet in 19 hours. The highest rate of hourly increase in gauge was 1.5 ft with an average rate of increase during the period of nearly 7 inches per hour. The receding rate of Jhelum dropped by only 9 inches in a period of 16 hours from 3 am on September 4. The average drop was around 0.5 inches per hour with the fastest drop being 1 inch per hour.

Iftikhar Drabu, a noted environmentalist, observes that “interestingly, the increase and drop in gauge reading during the swelling up and receding, for average and highest rates, is about 14 and 18 times for average: 7 inches compared to 0.5 inches; for highest hourly 1.5 feet compared to 1 inch. This is strange!”

Yes it is strange that Jhelum has lost its carrying capacity more so in the last 10 decades! The reason authorities watched as mute spectators while Jhelum and its tributaries faced onslaught of illegal mining. Wanton mining for extraction of boulders, sand and other minerals from Jhelum with heavy machines destroyed its hydrological system. As a result water from Jhelum flows with more speed from south Kashmir to Srinagar increasing flood risk to it.

During the recent floods, Jhelum flowed through its erstwhile encroached floodplains from Shalina to Lasjan areas. It is surprising to see how habitations have come up in the Jhelum’s floodplains. It was a practice of Dogra rulers to breach the Kandzal area to save Srinagar from floods. Excess water of Jhelum used to be diverted through Kandzal area and the waters would spread to Nowgam areas in central Kashmir Budgam areas. Now the Kandzal area is a city within a city! Who allowed burial of Jhelum’s flood plains must be held accountable for endangering the whole Srinagar city.

As Jhelum continued to swell after incessant rains, authorities issued a notice that Ram Munshi Bagh water regulatory gate will be opened so that Jhelum water enters Dal Lake. Environmentalists questioned the move of authorities saying it will be like a death knell to Dal Lake if silt-laden Jhelum water flows into it.

On September 7, 2014, Jhelum breached an embankment with Dal Lake and flowed into it. The silt-laden waters of Dal Lake caused extensive damage to its fragile eco-system. Due to Jhelum water which is polluted and rich in nutrients caused massive proliferation of weeds in Dal lake. Instead of restoring Jhelum’s flood plains, it was a wrong plan of authorities to submerge Dal Lake!

So the question is where are the Jhelum’s flood plains? Let’s understand Jhelum’s hydrology. Spanning 175 sq kms, Jhelum flows in a serpentine way from south Kashmir to north Kashmir and the river’s flat topography makes Srinagar the most vulnerable area to flooding in J&K. Jhelum’s flood plains including wetlands on the left and right which acted as reservoirs of the floodwaters, have been buried and converted into colonies.

Ecologically important wetlands in the Jhelum floodplains like Hokersar, Bemina wetland, Narakara wetland, Batamaloo numbal, Rakh-e-arth, Anchar lake and Gilsar have been degraded due to rapid encroachment and urbanisation. The flood spill channel from Ram Bagh to Tengpora looks like a forest with trees, wild grass acting as blockades in absence of dredging. The 48-km flood channel from Rambagh to Wullar lake at many places is overwhelmed by formation of landmass and resembles wetlands.

Studies reveal that the built-up area within the floodplains of Jhelum has increased by 4 times from 55.47 km2 in 1972 to over 200.km2 . What has affected the inundation levels and patterns of Jhelum is the railway line, Bypass and under-construction Srinagar Ring Road. As authorities closed eyes, the eco-fragile landscape of Jhelum changed rather has been vandalised.

Kashmir valley is one of the most flood hazard-prone regions in the Himalayas. The valley has been witnessing frequent floods for centuries. It witnessed floods on regular intervals with major ones in 1903, 1905, 1909, 1928, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2006 and the devastating one in 2014. Experts maintain that floods are mostly caused by the filling up of Jhelum’s flood plains and backwater effects due to low outflows from Wullar Lake which has lost its carrying capacity by heavy accumulation of silt.

There is urgent need to increase Jhelum’s carrying capacity to over one lakh cusecs from present 40000 cusecs. On September 7, 2014, the Jhelum crossed level of 35.4 ft while the level was 23 feet at Ram Munshi Bagh discharging more than one lakh cusecs of floodwaters.
Government needs to increase the carrying capacity of Jhelum and its flood channel. Scientific measures are needed to increase the carrying capacity of Jhelum’s feeding streams. It can be done diverting the water of feeding channels by constructing buffer zones, dams. Jhelum’s conservation is the top priority of the government as it is Kashmir’s lifeline. Let Jhelum be a source of joy for people not fear!

Author is Executive Editor,

Greater Kashmir