Incessant rains from the last few days in Kashmir caused Jhelum to swell. The river was flowing at 15.01-ft at Ram Munshibagh, 1-ft below the alarm level of 16-ft and 3-ft below flood level of 18-ft at 11 p.m. on April 20. As depicted from data, luckily so far the water body did not breach the alarming or flood levels like early September 2014 when Kashmir Valley witnessed once-in-a-century flooding. However it is not prudent to assume that floods occur once every hundred years. The worst-flooding reminds of the devastation all around the Valley, more so in the summer capital of J&K and south Kashmir. Flood water levels rose to heights hardly imagined, submerging even the 2nd floors of several houses. It cut off road connectivity and forced many people to risk venturing through the rising and unbelievably cold water. Numerous people were subjected to untold miseries even though death count remained low due to grit and determination shown by youth, most of them virtually risked their lives and fortunately came triumph in their endeavor. A huge number of residential and commercial buildings were damaged alongside thousands of vehicles. The disaster was attributed to Jhelum’s choking drainage system, unable to withstand the runoff water volume. Jhelum, the lifeline of Kashmir, discharge exceeded capacity, flooding not only the low-lying areas but the ones which had never witnessed deluge. Most components of the flood were man-made. Greed and corruption undoubtedly accounted for the devastation. Some unscrupulous people break the rules in collusion with officials to encroach areas within the course of the lake, not even sparing embankments. These encroachments hinder runoff water, causing floods. Apparently indifferent to all this, these unscrupulous people continue to encroach and obstruct the flow of water. They give no thought to what are the consequences and impact, which was ingloriously unveiled in 2014 to not only heap miseries on themselves but also on others. Despite such devastation, people fail to learn crucial lessons. In the last nine years since the worst flooding, Kashmir had close shaves every time it rained heavily. People need to understand that playing with nature has consequences which could be devastating or even deadlier than one could even imagine.
While the climate crisis is causing substantial disruptions in rainfall patterns, scientists have been warning that floods will only become more frequent and powerful. To minimise loss, it is only proper planning that can insure against the inevitable extremities of nature including floods.
