SRINAGAR: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) will submit the final its report on 2014 devastating report in Jammu and Kashmir High Court (JKHC) today Monday (Septembeer 08).
Paying heartfelt tribute to the resilience of the people of Jammu & Kashmir on the eleventh anniversary of the devastating 2014 floods, one of the worst natural disasters in the region’s recent history, the EPG on the direction of JKHC prepared the final finsinds on the disastrous Flood on 2014.
The Group expressed its deepest condolences to families who lost their loved ones and saluted the courage of those who rebuilt their lives after the catastrophe, despite continued vulnerability to floods.
The EPG recalled that in the immediate aftermath of the floods, it had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled EPG vs Union of India & Others before the Division Bench of the High Court.
The petition named 16 departments of the Indian Government and J&K Government as respondents and highlighted many matters related to prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation, sought judicial intervention to increase the carrying capacity of the Jhelum and conserve its associated water bodies.
The High Court passed a slew of pathbreaking orders, issued repeated directions to various departments, some of which were implemented. However, despite these judicial pronouncements, remedial measures have not been implemented in any meaningful manner.
The floods of September 2014 in Jammu & Kashmir caused unparalleled destruction, wiping out villages, bridges, hospitals, and critical infrastructure, while depositing massive amounts of silt and debris that further choked the Jhelum. In Jammu, too, floods wreaked havoc, damaging roads, homes, and farmlands. Yet, more than a decade later, the Jammu & Kashmir regions remain as vulnerable as they were in 2014, with no comprehensive long-term strategy in place to prevent a recurrence.
EPG stressed that the present vulnerability is not the result of natural forces alone, but the direct consequence of decades of human-induced degradation. The denudation of catchment areas through illegal tree felling, unregulated land use, and overexploitation of forests, bulldozing mountains to construct roads, deep river bed mining using forbidden heavy machinery instead of permitted manual process, has stripped the Valley of its natural capacity to absorb rainfall. The loss of forest cover, coupled with widespread encroachments on riverbanks and forest lands, has transformed critical catchments into built-up or agricultural zones that rapidly flush water into the Jhelum. Instead of gradual seepage and absorption, rainwater now rushes directly into the river, carrying topsoil and accelerating siltation of the riverbed.
The natural bowl-shaped topography of the Valley compounds this risk. As the Jhelum descends from steep mountain slopes into the flat basin of Kashmir, especially from Srinagar to Wular Lake, its velocity slows and sediment settles, progressively reducing the river’s carrying capacity. Wular Lake, historically a vast flood absorption basin, has lost nearly a third of its storage capacity due to siltation and encroachments.
Equally alarming is the steady shrinkage and degradation of wetlands that once acted as natural sponges. Hokersar, long known as the “Queen of Wetlands” and recognised under the Ramsar Convention, has been severely encroached upon and converted into residential and agricultural land. The Ramsar-notified Haigam & Shallabugh wetlands; the Mirgund wetland has been hugely encroached upon; the Narakara Nambal , once integral to the Valley’s hydrological safety net, has been reduced dramatically by encroachment, unabated construction by Government and private enterprise , and waste dumping. Instead of absorbing excess water and moderating floods, these wetlands are steadily losing their function, leaving the Valley without its natural buffers.
The EPG underlined that abject failure in increasing the carrying capacity of Jhelum, Flood Channels, wetlands has caused unspecified damage to life, property, agriculture, horticulture and businesses, besides causing trauma to the people of Jammu & Kashmir every time it rains for a day or two. The immediate task for the Government is to increase the carrying capacity of the Jhelum /Flood Channel & other water bodies. The process of shoddy dredging executed earlier should be done away with. EPG cautioned that dredging must be scientific and continuous, not piecemeal or cosmetic. After the 2014 floods, dredging operations were initiated but abandoned halfway, without addressing the river’s natural hydraulic gradient. For dredging to be effective, it must be preceded by satellite-based surveys and sediment transport studies to identify critical stretches, while dredged material must be disposed of scientifically to avoid further ecological damage. Maintenance dredging must become a year-round process, supported by monitoring and transparent reporting.
Beyond dredging, EPG highlighted the urgent need for a holistic flood mitigation strategy. The historic flood spill channel of the Jhelum, which once carried excess waters away from Srinagar and other populated areas, lies clogged and neglected, even though its restoration is vital for flood safety. Urban drainage systems in Srinagar are outdated, unable to handle even moderate rainfall, often resulting in streets turning into rivers. Embankments along the Jhelum, many of which were weakened or breached in 2014, remain unrepaired or fragile, putting densely populated areas at constant risk.
EPG stressed that the protection of lives and livelihoods must take precedence over piecemeal works and unexplained delays. It reiterated that environmental degradation, unregulated construction, and administrative inaction have combined to increase the scale of risk, and unless decisive steps are taken, Kashmir will continue to face recurring flood scares.
EPG has been collecting the ground reports of the recent floods and will submit it to the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh early next week when the EPG PIL on Floods will be taken up for hearing by the Division Bench. It is worthwhile to mention the Hon’ble High Court had sought recommendations about the remediation of floods from EPG which it submitted to the High Court last month after consulting experts on Floods.
The EPG on the 11th Anniversary of the 2014 Floods, while paying tributes to the brave youth who, through their fearless and heroic acts, had rescued , saved and sheltered tens of thousands of people during the 2014 devastating floods. EPG reaffirms its commitment to pursuing the matter in court and the Government advocating for scientific, transparent, and community-driven solutions. It said the people of Jammu & Kashmir deserve safety, not fear, and that the administration must finally honour both the spirit and letter of the High Court’s directions issued from time to time after 2014 and respect the opinion of independent experts.
Furthermore, EPG will conduct a seminar of experts and submit the recommendations to the Government for necessary action.
Read more: GST Cut Offers Lifeline To Kashmiri Handicrafts Amid Export Slump
