Jhelum Touches Highest Level Since 2014 Floods in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: The water level of Jhelum at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar on Wednesday touched its highest mark since the devastating floods of 2014, underscoring Kashmir’s mounting vulnerability to extreme weather events.

According to data compiled by Kashmir Weather, the Jhelum has crossed the flood declaration mark 11 times in the past 11 years, averaging nearly one major flood each year. The most recent spike has now surpassed previous levels recorded after 2014, making it the highest in more than a decade.

Records show a cluster of four floods occurred in 2015 alone, followed by fresh incidents in 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, and now 2025. Experts and officials attribute this increasing frequency to the accelerating impact of climate change, which has amplified rainfall intensity and heightened risks of flash floods, landslides, and waterlogging across the Valley.

The list of previous floods includes: March 29-31, April 20-22, June 24-26, and July 12-14 in 2015; September 22-24 in 2015; April 6-8 in 2017; June 29-July 1 in 2018; June 22-23 in 2022; July 8-9 in 2023; and August 27-28 in 2025.

Officials said the current flood level at Ram Munshi Bagh is the highest recorded since 2014, when large parts of Srinagar and south Kashmir were submerged, causing widespread devastation.