Rising waters expose J&K’s fragile preparedness; Mushtaq Bala urges long-term resilience over reactive relief.
MUSHTAQ BALA
The Jammu region is once again reeling under the fury of incessant rainfall, triggering flash floods, overflowing rivers, and large-scale disruption to normal life. The swelling waters of the Tawi and Chenab have already breached danger levels in several stretches, threatening homes, livelihoods, and lives. Rescue and relief operations are underway, but the unfolding crisis is an ominous reminder of how vulnerable Jammu and Kashmir remains to nature’s wrath.
For many of us, these visuals of submerged roads, marooned families, and frantic evacuations reopen the wounds of September 2014, when Srinagar and vast parts of the Valley were swallowed by one of the worst floods in living memory. The Jhelum, our lifeline, had turned into a monster, bursting its banks and drowning entire neighbourhoods in a matter of hours. The devastation was unprecedented—bridges collapsed, hospitals went underwater, cultural treasures and personal histories alike were washed away, and the city was cut off for days. The scars of that disaster are still fresh for thousands who lost their homes, businesses, or loved ones.
It is unfortunate that despite the magnitude of that calamity, our collective preparedness remains far from adequate. Year after year, committees are formed, reports are filed, and promises are made—but when the waters rise again, our systems falter under pressure. Flood control infrastructure, embankments, and drainage channels have not been strengthened to the extent required. Encroachment on water bodies, wetlands, and floodplains continues, choking the natural safeguards that once protected us.
The present crisis in Jammu must serve as more than just another temporary alarm. It is a call to rethink disaster management as an ongoing priority rather than a reactive exercise. Authorities must ensure not only immediate relief and rehabilitation for the affected but also long-term measures: widening river channels, restoring wetlands, enforcing strict anti-encroachment laws, and investing in modern flood forecasting and early warning systems. Most importantly, there needs to be a sustained public awareness campaign so that people themselves become active participants in resilience-building.
Jammu and Kashmir’s geography makes us uniquely prone to such disasters. But vulnerability does not have to translate into helplessness. If the lessons of 2014 have taught us anything, it is that complacency is dangerous and preparedness is survival.
The rising waters in Jammu are not just a seasonal event; they are a stark reminder of the fragile balance we live in—and a warning of what could come if we do not act decisively.
Mushtaq Bala is Editor-in-Chief of Kashmir Pen, an award-winning filmmaker, cultural commentator, and advocate for peace through narrative media.
