INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SURVIVAL
The Jhelum is not merely a river that flows through Kashmir but it is the very artery of life in the valley. From irrigating fields to providing drinking water, from supporting ecosystems to defining the cultural landscape, the Jhelum has always been central to the Kashmiri way of life. Yet, for all its blessings, the river has also carried within it a shadow which is the recurring fear of floods.
The 2014 deluge remains etched in public memory as one of the darkest chapters of modern Kashmir, exposing how fragile our flood protection infrastructure really is. More than a decade later, the answer to the question lies in the devastation caused by the incessant rains that started from 25th August 2025 and led to flood like situations in the whole valley. What Kashmir needs is not piecemeal action but a comprehensive Jhelum River Mitigation Plan, a blueprint that combines engineering, ecology and governance.
Over the decades, the carrying capacity of the Jhelum has drastically reduced. Siltation has emerged as one of the most pressing issues as the riverbed has risen significantly. In many stretches, especially from Sangam to Srinagar, the river struggles to carry peak flows. When heavy rainfall occurs, water has nowhere to go but into habitations. Another grave challenge is the unchecked encroachment on floodplains and wetlands which once served as natural buffers.
Hokersar wetland, once referred to as the “kidneys of Kashmir,” has shrunk alarmingly, while Wular Lake, once counted among Asia’s largest freshwater bodies, has lost a significant portion of its area to human intervention. With these natural sponges gone, floodwaters are left without storage space. The embankments along the Jhelum, many of which were built decades ago are weak, cracked and in some cases illegally encroached upon, making them prone to breaches. To add to this vulnerability, the Flood Spill Channel constructed during the Dogra era, meant to act as a safety valve for excess water, has not kept pace with modern requirements. Instead of providing relief, it remains clogged and ineffective.
A real mitigation plan must begin with large-scale dredging and desiltation. This cannot be treated as a one-time emergency response but as a regular institutionalised process. With modern dredging equipment and scientific monitoring, the river’s capacity can be restored and maintained. Alongside dredging, the embankments must be strengthened using modern engineering solutions such as geo-synthetic materials and concrete reinforcements. Their height needs to be raised at flood-prone stretches, and strict vigilance is required to prevent illegal breaches and encroachments.
Yet engineering alone will not suffice. Reviving Kashmir’s wetlands is essential to any long-term flood management strategy. Wetlands like Hokersar, Mirgund and Anchar need immediate protection as natural flood cushions. Encroachments must be removed with legal backing and a comprehensive wetland protection policy must be implemented with seriousness. Wular Lake, being the largest natural storage basin, should be integrated into flood management plans as a key buffer zone.
Equally important is the modernisation of the Flood Spill Channel. It needs widening, deepening and de-silting to carry large volumes of water away from Srinagar during peak flows. If necessary, new spill channels should be designed in accordance with present-day hydrological data. In addition, modern forecasting and early warning systems should form the backbone of the mitigation plan.
Real-time hydrological monitoring stations need to be established across the Jhelum’s tributaries, generating data-driven flood predictions. Linked with mobile-based alert systems, such a network could provide precious time for evacuation and emergency response. Urban planning too must be reformed. Construction in floodplains should be banned outright, as Srinagar cannot afford a repeat of 2014. Storm-water drainage systems, rainwater harvesting and flood-resilient building codes must become compulsory for new constructions.
The challenge is compounded by climate change, which has made rainfall patterns more unpredictable and extreme. Infrastructure, therefore, must be designed with resilience in mind. Green solutions such as reforestation along riverbanks, bio-swales and permeable pavements can complement engineering interventions, creating a balanced approach that is both sustainable and effective. However, even the best designs will fail without efficient governance.
The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has implemented projects with World Bank assistance, yet progress has been painfully slow. What Kashmir requires is a unified river basin authority capable of coordinating dredging, wetland protection, embankment strengthening, and urban planning in a holistic manner. Financing such an ambitious programme will also demand a sustainable model that blends state allocations, central support and even private participation.
There are valuable lessons to be learned from other flood-prone regions. The Netherlands has created an integrated flood management system through its famed Delta Works, safeguarding a country where much of the land lies below sea level. Bangladesh, despite economic challenges, has invested heavily in flood action plans that combine embankments, polders and community participation. These models prove that disasters can be mitigated if the right vision and commitment are in place. Kashmir does not need to copy them wholesale but can certainly adapt their principles to its unique geography.
The Jhelum River Mitigation Plan must be viewed not as a luxury but as infrastructure for survival. Every year lost without action is a year closer to another disaster. The cost of inaction will not only be measured in financial damages but also in the lives and livelihoods of thousands who continue to live in vulnerable zones.
The 2014 floods should have been the turning point that compelled a complete rethinking of Kashmir’s flood preparedness. Yet, a decade later, the valley remains almost as vulnerable as it was back then. The difference lies not in the lack of solutions but in the absence of political will and administrative urgency.
If Kashmir is to secure its future, the Jhelum must be treated as a shared responsibility that demands collective effort from government institutions, scientific bodiesand civil society. The river has shaped the history of the valley for centuries. Whether it shapes its future for better or for worse depends entirely on the choices we make today.
(Author hails from Anantnag and is infrastructure columnist. Feedback: [email protected])
