Time To Relearn Flood Lessons

It has been eleven years since the Jhelum submerged swathes of Kashmir Valley leaving behind death, and devastation. One would have thought that such a calamity would shake governments into action, forcing them to build a robust flood defense system for the Valley. Yet today, Kashmir stands almost as vulnerable as it did in September 2014.

The facts are damning. Of the Rs 1,623-crore Comprehensive Flood Management Plan, cleared with fanfare in 2022, its two most crucial components, resectioning of the Flood Spill Channel and widening of the Outfall Channel, remain frozen in files. These works, valued at over Rs 1,200 crore, were expected to decisively improve the Jhelum's carrying capacity. Instead, they have been mired in bureaucratic confusion, with clashing studies from two agencies, and now further cost escalations of Rs 300 crore. The end result is paralysis, while the river remains a ticking bomb.

What is more, the wetlands such as Hokersar, Haigam, Shallabugh, and Mirgundthat that once acted as sponges during high rainfall have been encroached upon or degraded. The Environmental Policy Group has rightly warned that without halting this reckless land use, any engineering intervention will be futile. As things stand, a weakened drainage system in Srinagar, fragile embankments left unattended since 2014, and piecemeal dredging only add to the Valley's vulnerability.

Meanwhile, the High Court's recent intervention is a timely reminder that the executive has failed in its duty of foresight. The court rightly summoned top bureaucrats to explain why long-promised works remain stalled. Courts, however, cannot substitute governance. Ultimately, it is the government that must break the inertia and move beyond paperwork.

Kashmir's people cannot be expected to live year after year under the shadow of another deluge. The Rs 1,623-crore plan cannot remain a statistic; it must translate into strengthened embankments, widened channels, restored wetlands restored, and modern monitoring systems.

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