SRINAGAR: Dozens of riverside villages along the Jhelum river and its fast-flowing tributary, the Veshaw Nallah, are now facing an existential threat due to the unprecedented scale of frequent floods when swollen waters press against cracked embankments and devour away fields and homes.
Locals in Turka-Tachloo, Shamsipora, Hussanpora, Arwani Anantnag, and other neighbouring hamlets say they repeatedly patch the same weak stretches with sandbags as official repairs are slow or limited. But temporary fixes, they lament, are “ineffective’ against a repeated force that grows with each flood caused by heavy rains.
In these villages, the embankment has begun to erode and sink following the receding water level in the Veshaw Nallah in September. Over the past few years, these embankments have suffered multiple breaches, exacerbating the vulnerability of these communities.
Since the devastating floods of September 2014, the Jhelum River has repeatedly overflowed and breached its embankments during spells of heavy rains, causing large-scale damage across Kulgam and Anantnag districts.
Every monsoon season since then has brought renewed fear to nearby villages, where the embankments either cave in or are eroded due to the absence of permanent flood-protection works.
A particularly severe incident occurred in June 2022, when continuous rainfall caused the Veshaw to breach at several locations, including Chambgund, washing away temporary diversions, inundating farmlands, and damaging houses along its course. Again, in September 2025, the river “roared ferociously,” flooding villages in Kulgam and Anantnag and forcing the evacuation of nearly 7,000 residents from Qaimoh, Khudwani, and Redwani.
Residents now express deep concern over the recurring breaches and the inadequate response from authorities. One villager, Mohammed Ashraf, remarked, "Each year, we face the same threat. The embankments are weak, and when they breach, our homes and fields are at risk."
Another resident, Abdul Hameed, who lives on the bank of the Veshaw Nallah, said, “We have built our homes with much hard work, but every rainy season fills us with fear that the water may flood our houses. As the water recedes, the embankments begin to erode, posing a serious threat to our lives. If these embankments are not properly repaired, the entire valley could be inundated, potentially causing a disaster even worse than the 2014 floods. We have been demanding a permanent solution for years, but nothing has been done.”
Overview Of Jammu and Kashmir Floods 2025
The recent flash floods and cloudbursts in August and September 2025 caused severe devastation across Jammu and Kashmir. At least 150 people lost their lives, 33 individuals are reported missing, and 178 others were injured during these recent disasters.
In Chasoti village of Kishtwar district alone, a cloudburst resulted in 68 deaths, over 300 injuries, and 36 people were reported missing. In Reasi district, a sudden cloudburst buried an entire family of seven, further contributing to the rising death toll.
The Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) reported damages worth ₹24 crore to its infrastructure. Residential houses were hit particularly hard in Kishtwar district, where 224 houses in the Marwah and Warwan sub-divisions were affected on August 26. Of these, 50 houses were completely destroyed, 140 suffered severe damage, and the remaining experienced partial damage.
Across the region, more than 13,600 homes were damaged fully, severely, or partially. In Kashmir, 864 houses were affected, including 16 fully damaged, 57 severely damaged, and 791 partially damaged.
In Jammu division, 12,800 houses were damaged, of which 4,200 were completely destroyed and over 8,600 partially damaged, with Udhampur and Jammu districts emerging as the worst hit.
Safety audits conducted in the aftermath revealed 758 schools declared unsafe out of 8,800 inspected, raising concerns over the safety of educational infrastructure in the region.
Agriculture also suffered significant losses. Over 12,500 hectares of farmland were affected, while the horticulture sector — particularly in Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama districts — saw 315 hectares damaged, with estimated losses of around ₹59 lakh.
Flooding in Kashmir is not a new phenomenon. Historical records show major floods hitting the region on July 21, 1893, followed by significant events in 1903, 1929, 1948, 1950, 1957, 1959, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014.
Experts, however, note that such incidents have become more frequent in recent years. Over the past decade, official data from the Jammu & Kashmir Irrigation and Flood Control Department shows that water levels have crossed the danger mark at least seven times, triggering flood-like conditions across the region and signaling a growing risk of recurrent floods.
Records reveal that 2015 alone witnessed four separate floods, with additional incidents recorded in 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, and now 2025. The 2025 surge has now exceeded all previous levels since 2014, marking the highest in more than a decade.
Weak and Poorly Maintained Embankments
The embankments along Kashmir's rivers, particularly the Jhelum and its tributaries like the Veshaw Nallah, have long been a source of concern. Many of these structures are not only old but also poorly maintained, rendering them highly susceptible to breaches during monsoon seasons.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, an environmental activist, told the Kashmir Times that illegal riverbed mining is mainly responsible for this, as embankments are weakened due to sand and gravel mining.
According to a report by Dredgewire, a source for news on dredging, ports, harbors, and marine infrastructure, no dredging work was carried out on the Jhelum River or its flood channels between March 2020 and March 2025.
It reports a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by environmentalist M.M. Shujah with the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, which revealed significant lapses in flood management in Kashmir.
According to the department’s response, no dredging work was undertaken on any part of the Jhelum River or its flood spill channels between March 2020 and March 2025. This prolonged inaction has heightened concerns, particularly as changing climate patterns and unpredictable weather increase the risk of floods in the region.
Following the catastrophic 2014 floods, the Government of India approved a Comprehensive Flood Management Plan (CFMP) under the Prime Minister’s Development Package. The plan aimed to boost the Jhelum’s water carrying capacity, remove silt and encroachments, and strengthen embankments and other flood defenses.
However, the department reports that only 80 percent of the project has been implemented, with the remainder delayed due to funding shortfalls, technical hurdles, and administrative inefficiencies.
Experts warn that without consistent dredging and proper upkeep of the river and its flood channels, the Valley remains highly exposed to another devastating flood.
The last significant capital dredging effort was conducted by Kolkata-based Reach Dredgers prior to 2020, and no new contracts have been awarded to continue or expand this work. While the department claims to have cleaned 670 kilometers of irrigation canals during the 2023–24 financial year, removing 2.9 lakh cubic meters of silt, experts note that such efforts addressed only minor canal networks and failed to tackle the main problem — silted and narrowed stretches of the Jhelum itself.
The RTI also highlighted ongoing obstructions along the riverbanks, including 632,000 trees, 1,884 unauthorised structures, and 283 concrete walls, which hinder the river’s natural flow and pose serious flood risks during periods of high water discharge. However, certain stretches of the river have seen some improvement. For example, the carrying capacity between Sangam and Padshahi Bagh increased from 31,800 to 41,000 cusecs; yet, experts caution that these gains are insufficient given the persistent encroachments and lack of systematic silt removal.
The report also said that environmental specialists have repeatedly recommended the construction of three major dams across South, Central, and North Kashmir to store excess floodwaters. Such infrastructure could not only reduce flood hazards but also support irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
“With increasingly erratic rainfall and climate-related shifts, the Valley faces the risk of floods similar to or even worse than those of 2014,” experts have warned. As another monsoon approaches, the lack of preventive infrastructure and delayed interventions continue to leave millions of residents vulnerable.
According to the 2025 report by the Environmental Policy Group (EPG) submitted to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, Kashmir’s flood vulnerability is not purely a result of natural factors, but largely due to human-induced changes over decades.
The report points out that deforestation in catchment areas, unplanned construction on floodplains, and encroachments along riverbanks and wetlands have dramatically reduced the ability of the Jhelum River, its tributaries, and surrounding wetlands to manage excess water. Activities like deep riverbed mining, bulldozing hills for roads, and unchecked urban development have accelerated soil erosion and silt deposition, further limiting the river’s capacity during heavy rainfall.
The report also emphasizes the failure of past interventions. After the devastating 2014 floods, dredging operations were undertaken to improve the river’s flow, but these efforts were incomplete, inconsistent, and mostly cosmetic.
Embankments that were weakened or breached during earlier floods remain partially repaired or neglected. Critical flood spill channels and urban drainage systems, especially in Srinagar, are outdated and unable to handle even moderate rainfall. Wetlands such as Hokersar, Haigam, Mirgund, and Narakara Nambal, which historically acted as natural buffers against flooding, have been degraded due to encroachment, construction, and waste dumping, reducing their ability to absorb floodwaters.
EPG warns that unless systematic dredging, embankment repairs, wetland restoration, and comprehensive flood management planning are implemented immediately, the Valley will remain highly vulnerable to repeat disasters.
The report recommends scientific, year-round dredging guided by satellite surveys, restoration and protection of wetlands, upgrading urban drainage, and strict enforcement of environmental and construction regulations. It also calls for transparent monitoring, accountability for delays, and community participation to ensure that preventive measures are effective.
The report paints a picture of a Valley where environmental mismanagement, administrative delays, and incomplete infrastructure projects combine to maintain a constant threat of catastrophic flooding, stressing that urgent, coordinated action is needed before the next monsoon.
Unplanned Development and Human Activity Heighten Flood Risks
Experts and official reports point to rampant, unplanned urbanization and illegal construction along riverbanks and floodplains as key factors increasing flood risks in Kashmir. Unauthorised housing colonies, roads, and other structures have narrowed the natural path of the Jhelum River and its tributaries, reducing the river’s ability to carry floodwaters safely.
A major concern is the direct discharge of untreated sewage into the Jhelum and its tributaries. Residents and environmentalists often describe the river as the “biggest drain in Kashmir,” as waste from homes, shops, and drains flows untreated into the river. While some sewage treatment plants (STPs) exist near Dal Lake, most stretches of the Jhelum, especially through urban areas, lack adequate facilities to handle the growing volume of wastewater.
Human activities have also altered the river’s natural flow. Studies on the 2014 floods highlighted that infrastructure projects like the elevated railway track and the newly constructed NH-44 highway from South to North Kashmir disrupted the drainage patterns of the Jhelum floodplain. Additionally, uncontrolled mining of sand, gravel, and boulders from riverbeds and floodplains has weakened embankments and destabilised the river’s course, making it more prone to flash floods.
The J&K Expert Appraisal Committee and other regulatory bodies advised halting in-stream mining of sand, gravel and boulders in the Jhelum and its tributaries until a basin-wise scientific study was completed. The JKEAC is an expert committee under the state’s environmental clearance framework (via the Jammu & Kashmir Environment Impact Assessment Authority — JKEIAA). Its role is appraisal and clearance of projects involving minerals, etc.
The Supreme Court also upheld a ban on river-bed mining in Kashmir in August 2025. The Supreme Court of India upheld a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that prohibited NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd. from conducting riverbed mining in the Shali Ganga stream at Panzan in Budgam district, Kashmir.
Despite these warnings, reports indicate that extraction continues, further endangering the Valley during heavy rains.
Stalled Flood Management Plan
Despite recurrent flood threats in Kashmir, two key components of the Rs 1,623 crore comprehensive flood management plan for the Jhelum River remain stalled.
The re-sectioning of the Flood Spill Channel (FSC) and widening of the Outfall Channel (OFC), together costing around Rs 1,280 crore, have not been initiated due to conflicting assessments from two studies conducted by the Central Water & Power Research Station (CWPRS) and EPTISA, a multinational engineering consultancy. The matter was referred to the Central Water Commission (CWC), which recommended alterations adding an additional Rs 300 crore to the project, further delaying execution.
Officials have also pointed out technical challenges, including the need to strengthen the foundations of about 20 bridges crossing the FSC, which could be exposed by excavation up to two meters deep. While the Union and Jammu & Kashmir governments have approved funding and plans for the project, work remains on hold pending clearance of these additional financial and technical requirements.
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