Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Oct 30: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that extensive flood management and mitigation works have been carried out across the Union Territory under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), significantly enhancing the carrying capacity of the River Jhelum and other water bodies.
In a written reply to starred question No. 310 tabled by MLA Tariq Hameed Karra, the Jal Shakti Department stated that under PMDP Phase-I, flood management measures worth Rs 399.29 crore were executed in 2015–16 by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) and are now almost complete.
The department said that the carrying capacity of River Jhelum has increased from 31,800 cusecs to 41,000 cusecs, marking an improvement of 22 percent, due to dredging, embankment strengthening, and other interventions.
In addition, land acquisition of 1,750 canals worth Rs 142.33 crore was completed under the project. Two major bridges — Naidkhai Bandipora and Shariefabad Bemina, Srinagar — were also constructed on the Flood Spill Channel at a cost of Rs 35.29 crore.
The government informed that Phase-II of the project is currently under execution, focusing on the strengthening of embankments, bank raising, and removal of bottlenecks along vulnerable stretches.
Following the devastating 2014 floods, the government undertook several flood mitigation and preparedness measures, including establishment of 24/7 Flood Control Rooms, real-time water level monitoring, and coordination exercises with SDRF.
The reply further stated that during the August–September 2025 floods, a 110-meter breach occurred in the embankment of River Ravi near Madhopur Barrage, resulting in water ingress into parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jal Shakti Department, in coordination with Punjab authorities, promptly carried out protection and restoration works to avert further damage.
To prevent future flood events, the department said it has adopted a multi-layered strategy focusing on both structural and non-structural measures, including embankment strengthening, real-time monitoring, and community awareness campaigns.
A study commissioned under Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) in 2019 is also underway to prepare a blueprint for flood management and mitigation in the Jhelum Basin, the reply added.
