Mustakeen Mushtaq
The month of August 2025 will be remembered as one of the darkest monsoon seasons in Jammu and Kashmir. In just a few days, torrential rain washed away homes, bridges and highways. Cloudbursts and landslides buried villages, while swollen rivers threatened towns and cities. The disaster left behind hundreds of deaths, thousands displaced and property worth crores destroyed.
This is not the first time the region has suffered such devastation. Floods in 2014, heavy rain in 2022 and several smaller events had already shown how fragile the Himalayan ecosystem is. Yet the current disaster feels different. It broke rainfall records that stood for decades and exposed once again how little has been done to prepare for such events.
History of Rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is no stranger to heavy rains. The young mountains of the Himalayas and the river systems that flow through them make the region naturally vulnerable to flooding and landslides. In the past century, several extreme events have been recorded.
In 1926, Jammu received 228 millimetres of rainfall in a single day. In 1996, the figure was 218 millimetres. The 2014 floods, caused by nearly a week of continuous rain, killed about 300 people and submerged large parts of Srinagar. In August 2022, Jammu city received 189 millimetres in 24 hours, which was then the highest in 26 years.
The present disaster has surpassed them all. Udhampur recorded 629 millimetres in 24 hours, almost double its earlier record. Jammu city received 296 millimetres, higher than the 1973 figure. Between August 23 and August 27, the Union Territory received 612 millimetres of rainfall, more than seven times the normal level. It is the heaviest spell since 1950.
In Katra, a landslide struck pilgrims on their way to the Vaishno Devi shrine. More than thirty people were killed and dozens injured. The Yatra was suspended, leaving thousands stranded. In Doda, flash floods and landslides destroyed homes and took lives. In Kishtwar’s Chosoti village, a sudden cloudburst turned into a wall of water and debris. More than sixty people were killed, over three hundred injured and hundreds are still missing. Survivors described the sound as if the mountains themselves were collapsing. The Machail Mata Yatra had to be cancelled midway.
For families who lost their loved ones, recovery will take years. Farmers saw their fields destroyed. Children lost their schools and books. Entire communities were uprooted. The trauma of those who survived will remain long after the water recedes.
The rains exposed the weakness of Jammu and Kashmir’s infrastructure.
The Jammu Srinagar highway, the lifeline of the region, was blocked for days by landslides. Bridges collapsed in several districts, cutting off villages from supplies and rescue operations. Power grids went down and many areas remained in darkness for days. Mobile and internet networks failed, leaving people disconnected when they needed help most. Air services were also disrupted.
Rivers such as the Chenab, Tawi, Jhelum, Ravi and Basantar crossed danger levels, threatening more floods downstream. The loss of connectivity paralysed transport, trade and health services. Daily survival itself became a challenge.
Conclusion
The August 2025 floods will be remembered as one of Jammu and Kashmir’s darkest monsoon tragedies. It was a story of record breaking rainfall but also of record breaking unpreparedness. Nature triggered the disaster but negligence in planning, governance and environmental care made it far worse.
The lessons are clear. Climate change is already reshaping the monsoon and destabilising the Himalayas. Disasters that were once rare are becoming frequent. Relief packages after every tragedy are not enough. What the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve is foresight, preparation and safety.
Unless urgent steps are taken, the next cloudburst will not just be another tragedy. It will be a failure of responsibility and duty.
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