Srinagar, Jul 22: Continuous rainfall over the past three days and waterlogging in several parts of the valley have revived painful memories of the devastating 2014 floods among residents across Kashmir, with many recalling the worst natural disaster the region has witnessed in recent decades.
Since Monday, moderate to heavy rainfall has lashed most parts of the valley, causing water levels in rivers, streams and nallahs to rise and prompting anxious residents to closely monitor the situation. While the downpour has brought much-needed relief from the recent spell of intense heat, it has also rekindled fears among people who endured the catastrophic floods that submerged large parts of Kashmir in September 2014.
In several low-lying areas of Srinagar and other districts, residents said the persistent rainfall reminded them of the days leading up to the 2014 deluge, when incessant rain caused the Jhelum River to overflow, inundating homes, businesses and public infrastructure.Shabir Ahmad, a shikarawala at the Jhelum bund near Lal Chowk, said he has been closely watching the river’s water level since the rains began.“If the water level continues to rise, we fear a disaster like the one we witnessed in 2014.
Those memories still haunt us,” he said.Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Khursu in Rajbagh – one of the worst-affected localities during the 2014 floods said the family has been keeping a close watch on the river.“We have been checking the river level every few hours. Continuous rainfall naturally reminds us of 2014. Those memories never fade,” he said.Manzoor Ahmad, a resident of Bemina, said the ongoing rainfall has left many families worried.“In September 2014, we fled our homes when floodwater entered our locality.
We left everything behind and moved to safer places. Our house suffered extensive damage. We don’t want to experience that nightmare again,” he said.Faisal Chaku, a resident of Zakura, said the continuing rain and reports of flooding in some areas have brought back traumatic memories.“Every spell of heavy rain reminds us of those difficult days. We only hope history does not repeat itself,” he said.
Shopkeepers in Lal Chowk, Jawahar Nagar and other flood-prone localities also expressed concern, saying they were keeping a close watch on the weather and water levels amid fears of a repeat of 2014.The Meteorological Department (MeT), however, has ruled out any immediate flood threat and has appealed to the public not to panic.
The devastating floods of September 2014, triggered by unprecedented rainfall, claimed more than 200 lives across Jammu and Kashmir and caused extensive damage to homes, government buildings, roads, hospitals and businesses. Large parts of Srinagar remained submerged for several days, leaving thousands homeless and disrupting normal life for weeks.
Disaster management experts said that although weather forecasting, flood monitoring and emergency response systems have improved significantly since 2014, public anxiety during prolonged spells of rain is understandable given the scale of the tragedy.Officials have urged people to remain calm, rely only on official weather advisories and avoid spreading rumours on social media. They said emergency response teams have been kept on standby and are prepared to respond swiftly if the weather situation worsens.
