09/05/2026
𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗝&𝗞 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀
The clouds over Jammu & Kashmir seem to have forgotten their way home. For six months straight, the precipitation levels have consistently failed to touch the normal mark, creating a dry streak that started in November and shows no signs of letting up. Even as we look at the fresh data for April, the shortfall continues to grow, with the UT recording only 86.5 mm of rainfall against the normal 99.6 mm— a 13% departure.
This isn’t just a matter of a few dry days; we are heading toward a genuine water crisis. In many of our far-flung areas, residents are already staring at the possibility of severe shortages. If we are hit with a dry spell that lasts even a couple of months — which, let’s be honest, is not a rare occurrence for our region — those in the hinterlands will be the first to suffer.
This isn't just about drinking water, either. Our streams and rivers are running well below their normal levels, which directly translates to a massive hit on electricity generation.
The real danger lies in the fact that this isn't an isolated bad year. This current six-month drought is piling onto a much larger problem: we are coming off seven consecutive winters of below-normal precipitation. We have been spending our water "savings" without replenishing the bank. The government needs to wake up to this reality and start preparing now. We cannot wait for the crisis to reach our doorsteps to start planning; we need proactive measures to manage what little water we have left.
The district-wise breakdown for April reveals just how uneven and punishing this weather has been, especially for Kashmir. While a few places like Samba or Rajouri saw a sudden burst of rain, the heart of the Valley and key Jammu districts are in deep trouble.
Shopian is struggling with a massive 67% deficit, followed by Kathua at 60% and Anantnag at 46%, and Kishtwar at 26%. Even Srinagar is 32% short of its normal rainfall. When you see other south Kashmir places like Pulwama (-38%) and Kulgam (-39%) falling so far behind, it becomes clear that the water level of streams and Jhelum is going to drop down sharply this year.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙕𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨:
Shopian (33.9mm vs 102.1mm | -67%), Kathua (31.9mm vs 79.9mm | -60%), Anantnag (62.6mm vs 115.9mm | -46%), Kulgam (76.5mm vs 124.8mm | -39%), Pulwama (45.6mm vs 73.7mm | -38%), Budgam (53.4mm vs 81.4mm | -34%), Srinagar (63.8mm vs 93.9mm | -32%), Kishtwar (86.7mm vs 117.6mm | -26%), Ganderbal (94.8mm vs 123.9mm | -23%), Bandipora (62.6mm vs 72.0mm | -13%), and Baramulla (99.1mm vs 113.6mm | -13%).
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙕𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨:
Doda (+1%), Ramban (+2%), Kupwara (+4%), Poonch (+14%), Jammu (+15%), Udhampur (+15%), Reasi (+40%), Rajouri (+46%), and Samba (+96%).
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀: 𝗞𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿