JAMMU, July 22: The deadly flash floods that struck Rajouri and Poonch on July 19, claiming at least 21 lives and rendering hundreds homeless, have once again laid bare the grim reality of Jammu and Kashmir’s recurring flood crisis—a crisis that experts and officials say is largely man-made and entirely preventable.
Official sources said the Dharhali River overflowed its banks, submerging the New Bus Stand area in Rajouri town and sweeping away hundreds of vehicles, while in Poonch, a house collapsed under the fury of torrential rain, killing nine members of a single family. These tragedies, they pointed out, are not isolated incidents but part of a painful pattern that has played out repeatedly over the past decade, with little meaningful action to break the cycle.
The latest disaster comes barely a year after the catastrophic 2025 flood season, which official assessments say claimed over 150 lives and damaged thousands of houses across the Union Territory. Government data shows that relief funds were released and compensation work initiated, but the underlying vulnerabilities remain unaddressed.
Encroachment, Siltation Worsen Flood Fury
Experts tracking the region’s flood dynamics have pointed to rampant, unchecked encroachment on river banks and floodplains as the primary reason why seasonal rains turn into disasters. Over the years, hundreds of houses, shops, and makeshift colonies have sprung up along the Jhelum, Chenab, Tawi, and their tributaries. When these rivers swell, these settlements are the first to be swept away.
In Jammu, unauthorised constructions in Nikki Tawi, Beli Charana, Gorkha Nagar, Bhagwati Nagar, and Gujar Nagar areas have become easy victims of the Tawi river’s fury every year, officials said. Similarly, along the Jhelum in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, and Kupwara, thousands of encroachments and hundreds of semi-permanent structures continue to narrow the flow, despite removal drives.
A study on Rajouri town cited by officials revealed that the riverbed of Manawar Tawi has been extensively encroached, with a fivefold increase in encroached area since 2003. “The practice goes in such brazen and unquestioned manner that locals involved have no fear of laws and authorities as structures appear right in the midst of the riverbed area,” the study noted.
Human actions, officials said, have weakened the river system’s ability to absorb high flows. Siltation has narrowed spill channels and reduced carrying capacity. Wetlands that once acted as natural sponges—including Wular Lake, Hokersar, Haigam, and Shallabugh—have shrunk or been degraded. Unregulated riverbed mining and sand extraction have deepened and destabilised channels, worsening flood impacts downstream.
Reactive Response, No Prevention
The result, officials lament, is a cycle of reactive response. Every time heavy rains arrive, emergency teams evacuate people, relief is distributed, and condolences are issued—but the same weak points remain. With weather agencies warning of more heavy rains and flash-flood risks in the coming days and weeks, the absence of long-term preventive measures puts river bank residents at continued risk.
Official records show that in 2025, authorities identified and removed large numbers of trees and some structures along the Jhelum, but many encroachments remain, protected by legal stays, political patronage, or informal claims.
What Needs to Be Done
Experts and officials have called for a clear, humane, and preventive plan. First, the administration must map and identify all encroachments on river banks and floodplains across the Union Territory and prioritise the most dangerous sites. People living on clearly unsafe land should be offered relocation to safer plots at subsidised prices, with fair compensation for structures built and support for rebuilding livelihoods. Unauthorised colonies on floodplains should not be regularised and should be demolished with strong political will.
Second, illegal riverbed mining must be banned and strictly enforced with regular patrols and heavier penalties. Third, targeted engineering work is needed—desilting flood channels, restoring wetlands such as Wular and Hokersar, and strengthening embankments and critical bridges to withstand higher flows. Fourth, reforestation and catchment-area protection must be coordinated with local communities, using species and placements that stabilise soil without narrowing river channels.
“The lives lost in the recent floods and the larger toll from last year’s disasters are a painful reminder that floods are not only a natural hazard but also a social one,” an official said. “They become catastrophic where people and infrastructure are placed in harm’s way and where natural buffers are damaged.”
If the administration acts quickly—mapping risks, enforcing rules against illegal occupation and mining, restoring wetlands, and resettling the most exposed families with dignity—future rains can be met with preparation instead of helplessness. Otherwise, every heavy downpour will risk repeating the same human tragedy, officials warned. (KNS)
