Editorial | Choked Drains, Mounting Anxiety

The issue isn’t just the water. It is the negligence that has let drains clog. Siltation is cited by authorities, but silt does not disappear by itself. The local authorities cite encroachments, but encroachments have always existed. What is lacking is response. The inaction has transformed regular rain into danger.

Desilting is a seasonal responsibility, but drains are clogged. Natural outlets are blocked by silt from the Jhelum and its tributaries. Rubble from construction is dumped on riverbanks. Encroachers infiltrate wetlands. Houses and shops spring up on legacy flood channels. This is not merely negligence. It is creeping sabotage of the valley’s security.

Encroachments constrict water flow. Silt with a heavy load lessens carrying capacity. Water that freely flowed before now overflows onto roads. Villagers in Budgam, Pulwama, and Baramulla indicate flooded lanes following a light drizzle. In Srinagar, water is stagnant on main roads, isolating markets and schools. One wades through waist-deep water not during monsoon, but in regular rain.

The valley has expanded rapidly, but planning has been wanting. New colonies, shopping centers, and roads are constructed without drainage maps. Stormwater channels of old are covered under concrete. Wetlands that used to soak excess water are dwindling.

The Dal Lake, formerly a large reservoir, is disintegrating in waste and weeds. The Hokersar wetland has lost more than half of its size. Pampore karewas are being excavated for brick kilns. With each loss, the natural buffer against floods vanishes. The city and villages are exposed.

The September 2014 flood should have been a wake-up call. It ravaged homes, displaced lakhs, and shattered the economy for decades. Upgrades to the flood channels and dredging were promised. A national project was declared. Dredging firms were contracted. But not much has improved on the ground.

Sources indicate that even less than half of the dredging was done. Money lapsed. Equipment rusted on river banks. Today, even a decade later, Jhelum’s carrying capacity is still well below safe levels. People view the same silt, the same vulnerable embankments, the same choked drains. Official promises are losing credibility.

Farmers panic in villages when water remains on fields. Crops get spoiled. Shopkeepers shut shutters in towns when drains are clogged. Children do not go to school because lanes get flooded. Families stack bricks in front of doors to close them. These are not one-off occurrences. They recur each rainy week.

People now fear rain instead of welcoming it. Anxiety spreads on social media with every forecast. Citizens call for desilting, for dredging, for accountability. What they get are surveys, meetings, and new committees. The response does not match the urgency.

The valley cannot wait for yet another disaster to strike. The steps are clear. One, drains need to be cleared before winter arrives. Local authorities need to desilt on war footing. Two, encroachments in flood channels and wetlands need to be cleared. This will be unpopular, but safety has to come first. Three, the Jhelum and its spill channels need to be dredged to promised capacity. Unless this happens, no plan can be effective.

Technology will also assist. Early warning systems, mobile messages, and water level monitoring in real time can save lives. Local drains can be cleared ahead of rain by community teams. Schools and colleges can be included in awareness campaigns. Small actions compound when done regularly.

Flood safety can’t operate on promises alone. It requires deadlines, audits, and fines. Money has to be accounted for. Deals need to be open. Local voices need to be heard. If projects are delayed, excuses need to be posted publicly. Work needs to be visible on the ground, not just on paper.

The topography of the valley makes it susceptible to floods, but mismanagement renders it vulnerable. Man-made disasters can be prevented, but natural disasters cannot. Choked drains in Kashmir are a man-made hazard. They cannot be cleaned out as an option. They must be cleaned out.

The Kashmiri people need protection from preventable floods. The moment is now, before clogged drains convert another rain into another tragedy.