Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a drastic change in weather patterns. In the year 2024, the Union territory experienced the lowest rainfall in the last 50 years, and the rain deficit continues even in the beginning of 2025. As the Valley experienced the driest year in five decades, the river Jhelum has been flowing at its all-time low water level as well.
Jammu and Kashmir has experienced a precipitation deficit in the last year, with rainfall plunging to just 870.9 mm against the normal annual average of 1232.3 mm—a significant deficit of 29%. This marks the fifth consecutive year of below-normal precipitation in the Union Territory.
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A closer look at the rainfall trends over recent years highlights the alarming pattern: 2023 recorded 1146.6 mm (7% deficit), 2022 witnessed 1040.4 mm (16% deficit), 2021 saw 892.5 mm (28% deficit), and 2020 experienced 982.2 mm (20% deficit). With the 2024 figures nearing the previous low of 802.5 mm recorded in 1974, the region’s precipitation levels continue to dwindle.
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“Jammu and Kashmir has seen the least rainfall in the year 2024. From January onwards last year, Jammu and Kashmir has seen very less rain, and it was only in April last year that we witnessed excess rain, and the deficit worsened towards the end of the year. It was around 29 per cent deficit, which was the lowest. The previous low was recorded in the year 1974, and if we talk about the river Jhelum, it’s also flowing at its lowest right now. We have taken its average this season and its flowing at its lowest. The drinking water has been affected as well,” said Faizan Arif, weather analyst and forecaster.
The continuous decline in the rainfall pattern over the years emphasises the urgent need for climate adaptation measures and comprehensive water management strategies to mitigate the effects of prolonged dry spells in Jammu and Kashmir. The Flood and Irrigation Department of the Kashmir Valley is also getting ready to deal with any drought-like situation in the coming days.
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“Last year we witnessed very low precipitation and low water levels, which affected our lift irrigation schemes. We somehow managed in 2024, but it also gave us a lesson that if it continues in the year 2025, we will need some plan of action. The precipitation and snowfall are not in our hands, and we witnessed low water levels. We have made a drought action plan, as the lift irrigation schemes are the most affected as the sump tanks are at certain levels of the river. Last year, we couldn’t lift water as the levels had depleted, but this year, we have made a plan of planting drought pumps and lifting the river water to put in sumps and deliver it to farmers,” said Braham Jyoti Sharma, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control.
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There are around 18,000 glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, and all are melting at a very rapid pace. Kolahoi Glacier, which is the biggest glacier in Kashmir, has lost around 23 per cent of its mass since 1962.