Decade After Disaster: Kashmir Still Awaits the Defences Promised in 2014

Eleven Years, Same Fears

By: Javid Amin | 05 Aug 2025

September 2014 is etched in Kashmir’s collective memory as a month of ruin. The floods that year swallowed entire neighborhoods, submerged hospitals, collapsed bridges, and left families stranded on rooftops for days. Hundreds died. Crops were destroyed. The economic loss was pegged at over ₹1 lakh crore, with the World Bank’s conservative estimate at ₹21,000 crore.

Eleven years later, the scars remain—and so do the risks. Despite promises of dredging, embankment fortification, flood channel expansion, and wetland restoration, Kashmir remains as vulnerable today as it was in 2014.

The September 2025 flood scare, when the Jhelum breached danger marks at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh, was proof. If rains had continued just a little longer, Srinagar might have been submerged again.

What Was Promised After 2014?

The 2014 deluge triggered a flurry of studies, policy recommendations, and project announcements. Among the most notable were:

1. Desiltation of the Jhelum River and Flood Spill Channel – To restore carrying capacity and reduce stagnation.

2. Expansion of the Outfall Channel – To improve drainage into Wular Lake.

3. Strict Regulation of Construction on Floodplains – To stop colonies from coming up on natural buffers.

4. Wetland Restoration – Hokersar, Anchar, Bemina, and Wular wetlands were to be revived as sponges.

5. Embankment Fortification – Strengthening vulnerable stretches in Pampore, Awantipora, and Srinagar.

6. Investment in Early Warning Systems – Modern hydrological sensors and communication networks to alert communities.

These weren’t just technical fixes. They were survival imperatives. Yet, eleven years on, most remain unfulfilled.

Why Kashmir Remains Vulnerable

1. Geography of Risk

Kashmir’s bowl-shaped Valley and the Jhelum’s notoriously slow drainage (slope of just 1/10,000 between Sangam and Wular) make it a natural flood basin. Once water enters, it lingers, turning streets into stagnant lakes.

2. Encroached Wetlands

Wetlands that once absorbed excess water are now housing colonies and shopping complexes. Hokersar, once known as Srinagar’s flood cushion, is now choked with debris and illegal construction. Similar stories unfold at Anchar and Bemina.

3. Unplanned Urbanization

From Lasjan to Padshahibagh, residential and commercial complexes have mushroomed on reclaimed floodplains. These act like concrete dams, blocking natural drainage routes.

4. Climate Change

Erratic rainfall, sudden cloudbursts, and warming winters are amplifying risks. Events that once occurred once a decade now happen every few years.

The result? Even two days of continuous rain can bring the Valley to its knees.

What’s Been Done—And What Hasn’t

The Few Achievements

• Phase I of the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan (CFMP): Raised Jhelum’s carrying capacity from 31,800 to 41,000 cusecs.

• Embankment Reinforcements: Vulnerable stretches in Pampore and Zoonipora have been strengthened.

• River Morphology Study: Ongoing, meant to guide future interventions.

The Gaping Holes

• Flood Spill Channel Expansion: Stalled for years. The channel still carries only a fraction of what’s needed.

• Outfall Channel Upgrades: Not completed. Choked with silt and waste, its flow remains restricted.

• Phase II of CFMP: Aimed to raise capacity to 60,000 cusecs, but still awaiting funding.

• Urban Drainage Systems: Outdated, clogged, and unable to cope with today’s rainfall patterns.

The net result? 2014 lessons remain unlearned.

The Cost of Delay

Every monsoon in Kashmir now feels like a gamble with nature.

• In September 2025, the Jhelum at Sangam rose from 22 feet to 27 feet in less than 12 hours. Panic gripped Srinagar.

• Farmers in South Kashmir lost thousands of kanals of paddy to inundation.

• Srinagar’s low-lying colonies—Mehjoornagar, Lasjan, Padshahibagh—were placed on red alert.

Had the rains continued for another day, Kashmir might have relived 2014 all over again.

“Floods in J&K, like the 2014 catastrophe, are a man-made tragedy, worsened by neglect. A decade later, another flood serves as a warning.”

Kashmir’s Flood Legacy: 34 Major Events in 200 Years

Kashmir’s flood problem is neither new nor rare—it’s chronic.

• 34 significant floods since 1800

• On average, one major flood every 6 years

• Patterns: Sudden, intense rainfall + Jhelum’s sluggish drainage = disaster

Notable Floods in Living Memory

• 1902: One of the earliest recorded, devastating downtown Srinagar.

• 1959: Displaced thousands; triggered early calls for embankment upgrades.

• 2014: The worst in living memory; entire city under water, economic loss over ₹1 lakh crore.

• 2024: Another extreme event, reinforcing the urgency of unfinished projects.

Despite this frequency, core vulnerabilities remain untouched: embankments crack, spill channels choke, and wetlands vanish.

Lessons Still Unlearned

After the 2014 floods, a three-member expert panel recommended:

• Strengthening embankments along Jhelum

• Enhancing spill channel capacity to divert surplus water

• Dredging the Outfall Channel into Wular

• Rapid dewatering systems for Srinagar’s urban pockets

• Emergency response infrastructure across districts

Eleven years later, these are still promises on paper. The 2025 scare showed how little has changed: Kashmir’s defenses are as weak as before.

Why Promises Remain Broken

1. Bureaucratic Delays: Projects stalled in files, tenders delayed, agencies overlapping.

2. Funding Gaps: World Bank loans stretched but not adequately utilized.

3. Political Shifts: Changes in governance distracted focus from long-term planning.

4. Encroachment Politics: Wetland and floodplain encroachers often enjoy political patronage.

5. Lack of Accountability: No independent audit of funds, no penalties for delay.

This isn’t just poor planning—it’s systemic neglect.

Data Snapshot: Kashmir’s Flood Reality

Bottom-Line: Lessons Written in Water, Still Unread

It has been eleven long years since 2014, yet the Valley stands where it was—fragile, exposed, unprepared.

Kashmir doesn’t need more reports or promises. It needs:

• Execution of stalled projects

• Accountability for delays

• Strict action against encroachments

• Investment in climate-resilient infrastructure

Every drop of rain should not send a shiver down the spine of a Valley. Eleven years is long enough to learn. The question is: will the next flood finally force action, or will Kashmir once again drown in a cycle of damage, denial, and delay?