TRADERS ASSOCIATION CENTRAL LAL CHOWK RAISES ALARM OVER CONSTANT FLOOD THREAT; DEMANDS IMMEDIATE DREDGING OF RIVER JHELUM
SRINAGAR | July 25, 2026. Expressing grave concern over the rising water levels and the perpetual threat of floods in the valley after brief spells of rainfall, the Traders Association, Central Lal Chowk (Ghanta Ghar), Srinagar, led by its President, Mr Feroz Ahmed Baba, has strongly criticized the persistent negligence in the scientific dredging and desilting of the River Jhelum.
The Association pointed out that every time rain hits the region, panic grips the business community and citizens living along the Jhelum axis, particularly in the low-lying commercial zones of Srinagar. The lack of proper carrying capacity in the river caused by years of accumulated silt and inadequate dredging, causes the river and its spillover channels to swell rapidly, posing a severe flood risk to the historic market hub of Lal Chowk and surrounding areas.The reduced depth of the riverbed not only triggers immediate flood alarms but also worsens local urban drainage, as stormwater drains are unable to discharge into an already overflowing river.
President Feroz Ahmed Baba voiced the frustration of the trading fraternity:
The River Jhelum is the main arterial drainage for the entire valley, yet its carrying capacity has dangerously reduced over the years due to sheer administrative apathy and incomplete dredging projects. A few hours of rainfall should not plunge the summer capital into panic. The threat of a 2014-like flood scenario looms over us every rainy season. We cannot allow the economic core of Kashmir to remain at the mercy of poor disaster preparedness. We urgently demand that the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department and the Higher Administration restart comprehensive, large-scale dredging of the Jhelum on a war footing.
The Association urgently appeals to the Divisional Administration, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to formulate a long-term flood mitigation strategy to protect commercial centers, public property, and human lives.
