Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a drastic change in climate patterns. The Union Territory skilled the bottom rainfall within the final fifty years in 2024, and this pattern continues into the start of 2025. With the Valley enduring the driest yr in 5 many years, the Jhelum River has additionally been flowing at its all-time lowest water stage. It’s not terrorism however the drying up of waterbodies that’s now turning into deadly to this paradise on earth.
Jammu and Kashmir skilled a precipitation deficit up to now yr, with rainfall ranges dropping to only 870.9 mm in opposition to the traditional annual common of 1232.three mm — a big deficit of 29%. This marks the fifth consecutive yr of below-normal precipitation within the Union Territory.
A better have a look at rainfall tendencies over current years highlights this alarming sample: 2023 recorded 1146.6 mm (7% deficit), 2022 witnessed 1040.four mm (16% deficit), 2021 noticed 892.5 mm (28% deficit), and 2020 skilled 982.2 mm (20% deficit). With 2024’s figures nearing the earlier low of 802.5 mm recorded in 1974, the area’s precipitation ranges proceed to say no.
Dr. Faizan Arif, Climate Analyst and Forecaster, acknowledged, “Jammu and Kashmir has seen the least rainfall within the yr 2024. From January onwards final yr, Jammu and Kashmir has seen little or no rain, and it was solely in April final yr that we witnessed extra rain. The deficit worsened in direction of the tip of the yr, reaching round 29%, the bottom since 1974. If we speak in regards to the Jhelum River, it’s additionally flowing at its lowest proper now. We’ve taken its common this season, and it’s at its lowest. The ingesting water has been affected as effectively.”
The continual decline in rainfall patterns through the years emphasizes the pressing want for local weather adaptation measures and complete water administration methods to mitigate the results of extended dry spells in Jammu and Kashmir. The Flood and Irrigation Division of the Kashmir Valley can be getting ready to deal with a possible drought-like scenario within the coming days.
Braham Jyoti Sharma, Chief Engineer of Irrigation and Flood Management, stated, “Final yr, we witnessed very low precipitation and water ranges, which affected our raise irrigation schemes. We by some means managed in 2024, but it surely additionally taught us that if this continues in 2025, we are going to want a plan. Precipitation and snowfall are pure phenomena past our management, however we discovered final yr that we had very low water ranges. We’ve developed a drought motion plan. The raise irrigation schemes had been the worst affected, because the sump tanks are at sure ranges of the river. Final yr, we couldn’t raise water as the degrees had depleted, however this yr, now we have deliberate to put in drought pumps and raise river water to place in sumps and ship it to farmers.”
There are round 18,000 glaciers in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, all of that are melting at a speedy tempo. The Kolahoi Glacier, the most important in Kashmir, has misplaced roughly 23% of its mass since 1962.
