Tag: #ClimateCrisis

Kashmir Extremely Vulnerable to Catastrophic Floods: A Decade After 2014, Has Anything Changed?

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Kashmir Extremely Vulnerable to Catastrophic Floods: A Decade After 2014, Has Anything Changed?

A Valley on Edge: The Seventh Flood Scare Since 2014 By: Javid Amin | 07 September 2025 In early September 2025, the city of Srinagar was once again gripped by fear. The Jhelum River, Kashmir’s lifeline but also its greatest threat, surged past danger marks at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh. Sirens echoed across low-lying neighborhoods. Mosque loudspeakers urged people to move to safety. Families hurriedly shifted valuables to higher floors, while shopkeepers raised goods above the ground. For many, the scenes were eerily familiar. This was not the first…

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Landslide at Ratle Power Project Highlights Kashmir’s Escalating Ecological Crisis

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Landslide at Ratle Power Project Highlights Kashmir’s Escalating Ecological Crisis

Deforestation, Encroachments Blamed for Recurring Flood Scares in Kashmir; Ratle Power Project Landslide Brings Kashmir’s Fragile Ecology into Focus By: Javid Amin | 04 Sep 2025 Ratle Landslide: A Narrow Escape On September 4, 2025, disaster struck at the Ratle Power Project site in Kishtwar’s Dhrabshala area when a sudden landslide swept down a rain-soaked slope. Temporary tin sheds, being used as washrooms by workers, were buried under a torrent of earth and rock. Five workers were trapped inside. The district administration, led by Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma, launched an immediate…

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Deforestation and Encroachments Blamed for Recurring Flood Scares in Kashmir

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Deforestation and Encroachments Blamed for Recurring Flood Scares in Kashmir

Kashmir’s Recurring Flood Nightmare By: Javid Amin | 04 Sep 2025 Every monsoon, the Kashmir Valley stands on edge. With each heavy downpour, rivers swell, embankments tremble, and memories of September 2014 resurface — when the Jhelum breached all defences, drowning Srinagar and displacing hundreds of thousands. Eleven years later, despite crores spent on projects like the Jhelum–Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) and the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan (CFMP), the Valley continues to live under the shadow of recurring flood threats. Experts, residents, and environmentalists are increasingly pointing to a…

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Kashmir Flood Alert 2025: Jhelum River Crosses Danger Mark Again — Why 11 Years of Projects Haven’t Secured the Valley

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Kashmir Flood Alert 2025: Jhelum River Crosses Danger Mark Again — Why 11 Years of Projects Haven’t Secured the Valley

Big Projects, Little Relief: Kashmir’s 7th Close Flood Call Since 2014 By: Javid Amin | 04 Sep 2025 A Valley on Edge — The Seventh Flood Scare Srinagar, September 4, 2025 — As the Jhelum River surged past danger marks at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh this week, residents of Kashmir held their breath. Sirens blared, mosque loudspeakers echoed warnings, and families in low-lying areas scrambled to move valuables to higher floors. For many, the unfolding crisis felt like déjà vu — the haunting shadow of September 2014 returning once…

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Kashmir on the Brink: Disaster at Our Doorstep — Why the Valley Remains Unprepared for the Next Flood

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Kashmir on the Brink: Disaster at Our Doorstep — Why the Valley Remains Unprepared for the Next Flood

Kashmir on the Brink of Collapse: Disaster at Our Doorstep By: Javid Amin | 04 Sep 2025 A 2025 ground analysis of the Valley’s flood threat, readiness gaps, and the urgent choices before us. The Water is Rising — Again The Valley is holding its breath. The Jhelum has crossed the danger mark at Sangam and is swelling past safe limits in Srinagar. Tributaries like Vishow and Rambiyara are spilling over, and the rain hasn’t stopped. In South Kashmir, fields are lakes; in Srinagar’s low-lying colonies, water is already at…

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After the Rain: Kashmir Braces for Hot, Humid Spell Amid Climate Whiplash

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After the Rain: Kashmir Braces for Hot, Humid Spell Amid Climate Whiplash

MeT predicts brief relief before hot, sticky weather returns; experts urge preparedness for flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas. By: Javid Amin | Srinagar | 11 July 2025 After a three-day spell of much-needed rainfall cooled Jammu & Kashmir following an unprecedented heatwave, the region is now bracing for a return to hot and humid conditions starting Friday, according to the Meteorological Department (MeT). The recent downpours, which began Monday evening, brought temperatures back to below-normal levels across the Kashmir Valley and parts of the Jammu division. However, meteorologists…

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Kashmir’s Warm January: 75% Less Snow and Day Temps 6 Degrees Higher Than Normal

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Kashmir's Warm January: 75% Less Snow and Day Temps 6 Degrees Higher Than Normal

Kashmir records 75% snow deficit in Jan, day temperatures 6 degrees above normal Srinagar 04 Feb : Kashmir, also known as the Paradise on Earth, is losing its sheen due to drastic changes in weather patterns across the region. In January 2025, Kashmir Valley witnessed a 75 per cent dip in precipitation, and not only that, day temperatures have also risen and been recorded 6 degrees above the normal. Winter in the Valley has always been about snow-covered mountain ranges, huge tourist footfalls to witness the winter wonderland, and sub-zero…

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Experts Sound Alarm: Kashmir’s Snowfall Drop Could Lead to Water Scarcity

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Experts Sound Alarm: Kashmir's Snowfall Drop Could Lead to Water Scarcity

Kashmir receiving less snowfall can lead to water scarcity in coming months, say experts Srinagar, Jan 30 : Kashmir witnessing less snowfall during peak winter season this year could lead to water scarcity in coming months, experts said on Thursday. Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the experts said the changing weather patterns have led to decline in the intensity of snowfall in Kashmir and it can have far reaching consequences. Director Meteorological department (MeT), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that the snowfall in winters is important for the…

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Climate change to bring more extreme weather events to Kashmir, including September heatwaves

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Climate change to bring more extreme weather events to Kashmir, including September heatwaves

By: Wahid Bhat Kashmir is currently experiencing an unprecedented heatwave in September, shattering long-standing temperature records due to an ongoing dry spell that has persisted for the last 45 days. Srinagar, on September 12th, recorded a scorching maximum temperature of 34.2°C, a staggering 6.0°C above the normal seasonal average. This marks the second-highest maximum temperature ever recorded in September since the establishment of the weather observatory in 1891. The previous record of 33.8°C dated back to September 1, 1970, with an all-time high of 35.0°C set on September 18, 1934.…

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Kashmir braces for hot, dry weather this week, Srinagar records hottest September day in 18 years

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Kashmir braces for hot, dry weather this week, Srinagar records hottest September day in 18 years

Kashmir is experiencing a heat wave, which is expected to continue for the next one week, meteorological department (MeT) officials said on Sunday. The weather was mainly clear in Kashmir with relatively hot and humid conditions, while the skies were partly cloudy in the Jammu region. MeT’s local centre director Sonam Lotus said both Kashmir and Jammu regions are experiencing above normal temperatures, adding, “The same weather will likely continue for a week. A heatwave prevailed in plains of Kashmir, Qazigund and Kokernag,” The day temperatures in Kashmir were 3-6…

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