Chenab Valley worst hit; Experts call for stronger early warning systems, hazard mapping, stricter land-use regulations to curb cloudburst devastation
Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Aug 03 :
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed at least 35 cloudburst incidents this year so far, claiming around 31 lives and causing widespread destruction to homes, roads, bridges and public infrastructure.
Official data accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) shows that at least 22 cloudbursts were reported between June 1 and mid-July, while persistent heavy rainfall during the second half of July and the beginning of August triggered several more incidents, pushing the total number of reported cloudbursts beyond 35.
The fatalities have largely resulted from cloudbursts, flash floods and rain-triggered landslides, with the Jammu division accounting for the highest number of deaths. The worst-hit districts include Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Doda and Kishtwar, while several parts of Kashmir, particularly Shopian and Kupwara, have also witnessed repeated flash floods in recent weeks.
The latest spell of extreme weather on Monday left two persons dead after multiple cloudbursts struck different parts of the Union Territory, including Kupwara, Shopian, Bandipora and Anantnag, while heavy rainfall disrupted normal life across both Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
Officials said recurring cloudbursts have damaged dozens of residential houses, shops, schools, roads, bridges, irrigation channels and agricultural fields this year. Several villages have witnessed inundation following sudden flash floods, forcing authorities to evacuate residents and deploy rescue teams.
JAMMU-SRINAGAR NATIONAL HIGHWAY FACES REPEATED DISRUPTIONS
The strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has also faced repeated disruptions due to landslides, mudslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rainfall, affecting the movement of passengers and essential supplies on multiple occasions.
Disaster management officials said mountainous districts in the Chenab Valley, particularly Kishtwar and Doda, along with upper reaches of Shopian, Kupwara and other hilly areas of Kashmir, remain among the most vulnerable regions because of their steep terrain and proximity to seasonal streams.
Meteorologists define a cloudburst as an extremely intense and highly localised rainfall event in which precipitation exceeds 100 millimetres within an hour over an area of around 20 to 30 square kilometres. Such events often trigger sudden flash floods, debris flows and landslides, leaving little time for evacuation.
According to meteorological experts, the growing frequency of cloudbursts in Jammu and Kashmir is being driven by the interaction of moisture-laden southwest monsoon winds with western disturbances over the Himalayas.
They said the region’s steep mountain slopes force moisture-rich air to rise rapidly, a process known as orographic lifting, leading to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds often become trapped within narrow valleys, where they continue accumulating moisture until they suddenly collapse, releasing massive volumes of rain over a small area within minutes.
Experts also attribute the phenomenon to intense atmospheric instability. Strong upward air currents keep raindrops suspended inside clouds, allowing enormous quantities of water to accumulate. Once these updrafts weaken under the increasing weight of the water, the cloud system collapses, resulting in an intense cloudburst.
IMD SUGGESTS STRENGTHENING EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
Recent assessments by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Geological Survey of India indicate an increasing trend in such mountain hazards and recommend strengthening early warning systems through X-band Doppler weather radars, dense networks of automated weather stations and real-time community alert mechanisms.
The studies also call for hazard mapping of vulnerable slopes and flood channels, strict regulation of construction in floodplains and dry riverbeds, controlled urban expansion in ecologically fragile mountain areas, large-scale afforestation and protection of wetlands to reduce the impact of flash floods and landslides—(KNO)