As heavy rains once again pushed the Kashmir Valley to the brink of a flood scare, anxious residents in Anantnag, Pampore, and Srinagar’s low-lying neighbourhoods are demanding answers: Why has the long-promised Jhelum River embankment project remained incomplete more than a decade after the devastating floods of 2014?
For thousands living along the river, the danger isn’t just water,it’s the erosion of trust.
In Pampore, residents say they continue to live under the shadow of the 2014 floods.
“Not even a single foot has been added to the embankments since then. We’re still surrounded by sandbags whenever the river swells. That’s not flood protection, it’s a joke,” said GhulamNabi, a shopkeeper whose home lies just 30 meters from the Jhelum.
Nearby in Frestabal, boatman Mohammad Yousuf pointed to a cracked section of the river bund.
“One more heavy downpour and it will collapse. We’ve raised alarms for years, but authorities only show up when water spills over. Then they vanish again.”
In low-lying clusters of Pampore, families say their lives revolve around flood fears.
“We keep our clothes and bedding packed in sacks. As soon as the river rises, we rush to relatives’ homes on higher ground,” said Farida Begum, a widow. “We can’t keep living like this, like refugees in our own homes.”
The same fear echoes across Srinagar’s Rajbagh, GogjiBagh, and Mehjoor Nagar, areas that were among the worst-hit in 2014.
“Every time it rains for two days, we don’t sleep. Our children ask if the floods are coming again,” said Abdul Rashid of Rajbagh. “The government promised protection, but nothing has changed. The embankments are still weak.”
In Anantnag, schoolteacher ShaziaAkhtar said the lack of progress has affected people mentally and emotionally.
“Every year we hear about flood plans. But on the ground, all we see is mud being pushed around. Where are the strong embankments? The dredgers? The protection we were promised?”
In Srinagar’s LalChowk, shopkeepers say they fear financial ruin if floods return.
“If the river breaches, our markets drown first. We lost crores in 2014. Since then, all we’ve seen are sandbags, wooden planks, and empty promises,” said Bashir Ahmad, who owns a garment store near Residency Road.
Farmers on Pampore’s outskirts are also worried.
“Low-lying paddy fields get submerged first. If the river overflows, our crops rot in hours. But still, no proper embankments have been built,” said Yaseen Rather, a local grower.
The government, however, insists it is working on long-term measures. Minister for Jal Shakti, JavaidRana, admitted that the Jhelum has suffered neglect. “The river has suffered a lot in the past many years, especially the last five. We are trying our best to fill the gaps and come up with a permanent solution,” he told reporters in Srinagar.
Officials say a comprehensive flood management plan was drawn up after the 2014 disaster, involving dredging, embankment reinforcement, and alternate spill channels to ease river pressure. But progress has been slow due to funding constraints and administrative delays.
According to senior officials in the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, only 40–50% of the planned dredging and embankment strengthening work has been completed. Critical stretches, especially around Pampore, Lasjan, Rajbagh, and Mehjoor Nagar, remain exposed.
“The embankment project required large-scale funding. Approvals were delayed at multiple levels,” said one senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Until a dedicated flood management package is fully implemented, we’re forced to rely on temporary measures.”
“The Flood Control Department blames the Municipal Corporation, and vice versa. We, the people, are left stranded in between,” said Parveen Rather of Pampore.
Experts have repeatedly warned that the current patchwork approach is inadequate, especially as climate change brings more erratic weather.
“The Jhelum’s carrying capacity has dropped drastically due to decades of siltation. Dredging was meant to restore it after 2014, but the work stopped midway,” said environmental activist Dr.AsifQadri. “Meanwhile, unchecked urbanisation along floodplains continues. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
Hydrologist Prof. Zahoor Ahmad added: “Even a short, intense spell of rain can now trigger a flood. The embankments, spill channels, and flood drains urgently need reinforcement. Sandbags aren’t a long-term solution.”
With fresh monsoon clouds gathering over the upper reaches of Kashmir, residents along the Jhelum remain on edge.
“We live in fear every year. Unless the government finishes the embankments and dredges the river properly, 2014 could repeat itself,” said GhulamNabi, summing up the fears of thousands living along the riverbanks.
