“God knows what will happen next. If the rain doesn’t stop soon, this could be even worse than 2014,” says a visibly shaken Shabir Ahmad Dar, 50, from South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, as he anxiously stands on the river embankment, watching the rising waters of the Jhelum.
Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains continue to devastate parts of Jammu and Kashmir, bringing life to a standstill.
According to officials, at least 40 people were killed in a landslide that struck Katra on 26 August, while several others were injured and are being treated in hospitals in Katra and Jammu.
In separate incidents, four people were killed in Doda, and two others died of electrocution during flooding in south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh is also reeling under devastating floods, with over 150 lives lost so far. The death toll is expected to rise.
Fear is palpable in the voices of the survivors.
“People have lost everything; some have saved only the clothes which they were wearing," says Rajeev, a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi.
'Feels Like Nature Has Turned Against Us'
“It feels like a nightmare all over again,” says Farooq Ahmad, a resident from Sambora in South Kashmir. As a precautionary measure, Ahmad has moved his livestock and all essential household items to safer locations.
He says, “We have shifted all our household belongings from the ground floor to the second floor and moved our livestock to the houses of nearby relatives living in safer areas.”
Many residents living near the river embankments in Anantnag, Brijbehara, Kursoo, Pulwama and other low lying areas are also packing their belongings and shifting them to either the upper stories or to their relatives’ houses at comparatively safer locations.
In Karnabal of Kakapora tehsil in Pulwama district, the situation turned serious when the water breached the river banks and flowed into residential areas.
“I couldn’t sleep after announcements were made through public address systems from a local Masjid (mosque),” Farooq Ahmad, a resident of the Karnabal area, tells The Quint.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in J&K, says the Jhelum’s water level has risen sharply due to heavy rainfall in a short span. “The level will recede once the rain stops,” he adds.
Heavy rains and flooding have also disrupted internet and telephone services, which have been going down for hours at a time since August 25.
Parts of Himachal Pradesh have also been witnessing a similar crisis for over two weeks now.
“Cloudbursts followed by heavy flash floods caused the Beas River to rise so rapidly that within just three hours, large parts of Himachal Pradesh, especially Kullu and Mandi, were devastated,” Anil Kanth, a resident of Mandi tells The Quint moments before his phone abruptly switched off due to erratic network.
“Thousands of houses were washed away, buildings and shops collapsed, and the rising waters took down cellular towers and electricity lines. There is darkness everywhere,” adds Rajeev, a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi.
"There is no proper communication, no way to reach help. Roads are cut off, and we feel completely abandoned. It’s like nature has turned against us."Rajeev
Rising Waters Bring Back Haunting Memories of Kashmir’s Worst Flood Disaster
For many, the current disaster has triggered memories of the September 2014 floods that ravaged both sides of Kashmir along the Line of Control, causing massive loss of lives and property.
On 26 August 2025, as water levels in Kashmir’s famed Jhelum crossed the danger mark at several points, residents described the feeling as déjà vu.
“These continuous rains and the rising water level give me nightmares of 2014, when my house was damaged,” says Nisar Ahmad, a resident of Karsoo, Rajbagh, who lost his home in the floods that year.
He adds,
“Standing by the Jhelum today, I feel as if I’m reliving those terrifying moments, with every surge of water pulling me back into that nightmare.”
“In 2014, the river washed away my entire shop,” recalls Mohd Ashraf, as he hurriedly shifted items out of his kiyana shop in Srinagar’s Goni Khan Market late at night. “I can’t take that risk again. I’ve seen what this river can do.”
For Asif Najar, another resident of Srinagar, too, the swelling Jhelum has become a haunting reminder.
“These relentless rains and the swelling river have thrown us back into panic and despair,” he says.
"In 2014, my house was submerged. Watching the waters rise again, I feel the same helplessness.”Asif Najar
Warning Signs Ignored
In Pampore, a town situated on the eastern side of the Jhelum River on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, emergency response teams, led by the Tehsildar, have been deployed to the site. Workers are laying sandbags along the breach in an attempt to contain the flooding, while residents watch helplessly as water seeps into their homes.
But beyond the immediate crisis, experts and locals have raised serious concerns about Kashmir’s lack of preparedness and poor coordination among key agencies — particularly the Flood and Irrigation Departments, which are tasked with disaster management and flood control.
Despite clear weather alerts predicting cloudbursts, flash floods, and heavy rainfall 48 hours in advance, there was little visible response from the authorities.
Experts point to a communication gap between the Meteorological Department and the Flood Control Department that has only worsened the situation.
“There’s a clear communication gap,” says one expert, requesting anonymity, adding,
“The Met Department issued warnings well in advance, but there was no timely response from the flood control authorities.”
Adding to the risk is unchecked sand mining from the River Jhelum, which has weakened embankments and made them more vulnerable to breaches as water levels rise.
The Irrigation Department has also come under criticism for failing to maintain and clean canals. Choked channels have left rainwater with nowhere to go, forcing it into low-lying residential areas.
“Just two or three days of rainfall is now enough to create a flood-like situation,” said Nisar Ahmad, a resident of Karsoo, Rajbagh, Srinagar. “The canals are clogged, the water has no way to flow, and it ends up flooding our homes.”
Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg told The Quint that the authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Irrigation and flood control teams are keeping a constant watch from South Kashmir to North Kashmir.
"Adverse weather conditions are prevailing. The situation is being closely monitored. Irrigation and flood control teams are continuously monitoring from South Kashmir to North Kashmir. Our water gauge levels are being monitored closely at Sangam, Anantnag, and Ram Munshi Bagh."Anshul Garg
Unchecked Development and Climate Change: ‘If We Don’t Act Now, the Worst Is Yet to Come’
According to data shared by the Meteorological Department, 168 cloudburst incidents have been recorded in J&K between 2010 and 2022, with the number expected to rise in the coming years due to climate change.
When humans fight nature instead of protecting it, it has its unique ways of reminding living creatures of environmental sensitivities. Infrastructure stress, unplanned concrete constructions, unregulated tourism and pilgrimages and ignoring weather warnings are some of the contributing factors behind the recent environmental disasters in the valleys of Kashmir and Chenab, as per experts.
Environmentalists in Himachal Pradesh warn that similar factors are at play behind the state’s own catastrophic events.
Sensitive topography, rapid urbanisation, massive infrastructure development at high-altitude tourist spots, and the commercialisation of eco-sensitive zones are critical factors behind the nature’s fury.
Manshi Asher, an environmental researcher, tells The Quint, “We have been vocal for several years as unabated construction continued in vulnerable areas. Massive buildings have been constructed over the last fifteen years along the banks of the River Beas, despite warnings from scientists who had already predicted that such development could lead to major disasters — which we have now witnessed for three consecutive years."
"In the name of development, four-lane highways have been built, deforestation continues unchecked, and the overwhelming flow of visitors to tourist spots is accelerating glacier melt,” she adds.
Mutaharra AW Deva, a Climate change and sustainability consultant, tells The Quint, “The Himalayas are young and fragile mountains. We have created heavy concrete infrastructure at high altitudes in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, disrupting the natural environment and stripping the soil of its nutrients.”
Dewa further explains that this causes the soil to loosen easily.
“Whenever there’s a western disturbance or seasonal monsoon, it collides with the Himalayas, forms clouds, and triggers cloudbursts. Because the land has been denuded and deforestation has taken place, these events lead to casualties and massive infrastructure destruction. Moreover, every tourist and pilgrimage spot is now overcrowded.”Mutaharra AW Deva
Athar Perwaz, who has been reporting on science and environment for nearly two decades, also voices his concern over the lack of preparedness at the governmental and community level.
“Government should mainly focus on Developing impact-based and localized early warning systems, issuing timely travel advisories when disasters are imminent, enforcing proper housing policies such as preventing settlements and business infrastructure in disaster-prone areas,” Perwaz says.
(Muhammad Mukaram is a Kashmir-based journalist.)