Jhelum crosses danger mark at Sangam, tributaries overflow as Kashmir faces flood threat

Srinagar: The water level in the river Jhelum and its tributaries rose sharply on Wednesday afternoon following continuous rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir, with authorities sounding flood alerts in several districts.

According to the 2 pm gauge reading issued by the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, the Jhelum was flowing at 25.51 ft at Sangam, crossing the danger mark of 25 ft. At Pampore, the level stood at 5.19 m (above the 5.0 m alarm mark), while at Munshi Bagh in Srinagar it was recorded at 17.83 ft, still below the alert level of 18 ft. Further downstream, the Jhelum at Asham was at 8.90 ft (below 14 ft alert mark), and the Wullar Lake level stood at 1576.54 m, marginally below the full reservoir level of 1578 m.

The situation in the tributaries appeared more alarming. The Vishow Nallah at Khudwani has already breached the danger level of 7.75 m and is in overflow at 11.20 m. The Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi was at 3.92 m (against 5.7 m flood mark). The Lidder at Batkoot recorded 1.57 m and the Sindh Nallah at Doderhama 3.72 m, both close to their respective thresholds.

Officials warned that further rainfall could push water levels deeper into the danger zone, raising the risk of flooding in low-lying areas. Emergency control rooms and helplines have been activated across south and central Kashmir districts, including Budgam, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag, where people in vulnerable villages have already begun shifting to safer places.

This is the heaviest spell of rain in Kashmir this monsoon season, prompting the Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall till Thursday.

The incessant showers have already disrupted connectivity, with the Srinagar–Jammu highway, Mughal Road, Sinthan Top and Srinagar–Sonamarg–Ganderbal (SSG) road closed due to landslides, mudslides and shooting stones at multiple locations.

The situation has revived memories of the 2014 floods, when the Jhelum breached all embankments after crossing 27 ft at Sangam and 23 ft at Munshi Bagh, inundating large parts of Srinagar. Authorities, however, maintain that embankment strengthening and new flood-mitigation measures undertaken in recent years have improved preparedness.

People have been advised to avoid venturing near riverbanks and streams, keep emergency kits ready, and rely only on official advisories. Restoration and relief teams remain on standby, but officials cautioned that road reopening and relief timelines will depend on improvement in weather conditions.