Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Dec 30: Jammu and Kashmir faced one of its deadliest years for weather-related disasters in 2025, as monsoon rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides claimed lives, destroyed property, and left numerous families searching for missing loved ones.
The Jammu division was worst affected, while the Kashmir Valley reported comparatively milder impacts, according to official data.
Mid-August cloudburst kills 68 in Kishtwar
A major cloudburst struck Chasoti village in Kishtwar district along the Machail Mata Yatra route on August 14. Flash floods swept away homes, vehicles, and people, killing 68, including two CISF personnel.
“Around 300 were injured, and 38 remained missing, many presumed dead after extensive searches,” the official data said.
Record rainfall triggers floods, landslides across Jammu
Late August saw record-breaking rainfall in Jammu city and other districts. The Tawi River overflowed, landslides blocked highways, including the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, and cloudbursts affected the districts of Kathua, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, and Rajouri.
Vaishno Devi landslide kills 34 pilgrims
On August 26, a landslide near Ardhkuwari on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route buried pilgrims under debris, killing 34. Authorities suspended the yatra temporarily.
Additional incidents included a family of seven buried in Mahore, Reasi, and three deaths in Ramban’s Rajgarh area due to cloudbursts.
Casualties and damage
Official data shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs shows 199 people died due to floods, cloudbursts, and landslides in 2025. Kishtwar recorded the highest toll with 66 deaths, followed by Reasi with 48.
Other districts, including Doda, Ramban, Rajouri, and Udhampur, reported smaller fatalities. Kashmir division reported only one death (Anantnag) and one injury (Kupwara).
The disasters also caused 178 injuries, 33 missing persons, loss of 11,693 livestock, damage to 8,404 houses, and affected 77,915 hectares of crops.
The Jammu division accounted for nearly all casualties under relief frameworks, highlighting its vulnerability to extreme monsoon events.
Relief and rescue operations
Rescue efforts involved the NDRF, SDRF, Army, and Air Force helicopters.
The government released rupees 209 crore under SDRF, NDRF funds and provided ex-gratia payments of rupees 6 lakh per family through SDRF, NDRF, and PMNRF.
An Inter-Ministerial Central Team assessed damages and coordinated relief.
The Government of India, through the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), implemented a series of specialised technological and structural upgrades to protect Jammu and Kashmir from the region’s increasingly volatile weather patterns.
A primary focus in 2025 was the expansion of the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) network under the flagship “Mission Mausam” initiative. In September 2025, the government sanctioned the installation of four additional radars across Jammu and Kashmir to supplement the three already in operation.
This expansion aims to create one of the densest weather monitoring networks in the country, specifically designed to provide district-level early warnings for sudden, high-intensity events like cloudbursts, windstorms, and heavy rainfall.
By late 2025, IMD also accelerated the deployment of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in high-altitude zones to gather real-time data for both disaster management and the region’s critical agricultural sector.
Long-term flood mitigation projects, including enhancing the carrying capacity of the River Jhelum (from 31,800 to 41,000 cusecs in Srinagar), reached 80% completion by late 2025.
The government formally integrated J&K into a standardised Heat Action Plan (2025).
This plan was triggered for the first time in Srinagar and Jammu during record summer temperatures to regulate school hours and outdoor work.
To combat long-term climate changes affecting the region’s glaciers, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) expanded its monitoring of the Himalayan cryosphere in 2025.
This research is now being used to model the future of water security in the Indus basin and to prepare the local horticulture industry, particularly saffron and apple growers, for more frequent and intense weather fluctuations. (KNO)
