J&K plans early flood warning systems at three hydro projects

The Jammu & Kashmir administration is moving to install early flood warning systems at three hydroelectric projects in the Union Territory, part of a broader push to strengthen disaster preparedness after repeated cloudbursts and flash floods. The move also follows the recent devastating floods in Nepal, which experts linked to a high-altitude glacial lake outburst.

Tenders have been floated for the systems at the 900-MW Baglihar project on the Chenab in Ramban, the 105-MW Upper Sindh project in Ganderbal, and the 37.5-MW Parnai project on the Suran river near Bafliaz in Poonch, according to Rahul Yadav, Managing Director of the Jammu Kashmir Power Development Corporation.

The systems will place sensors and communication equipment upstream of dams and barrages, giving one to two hours of response time. Sensor redundancy will ensure data transmission continues even if one unit fails, and the health of instruments, batteries and communication links will be monitored in real time.

All three projects sit in mountainous terrain vulnerable to flash floods from cloudbursts, avalanches and glacial lake outbursts. After last year's Chishoti flash floods in Kishtwar, expert teams from the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) studied landslide-prone areas and later assessed glacial lakes. Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban were placed in the highly vulnerable category for landslides, and Mundiskar lake in Kishtwar was classified as "highly vulnerable" for glacial lake outbursts.

Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma said a Rs 35-crore proposal for disaster mitigation measures has been sent to the DMRRR, with work to begin after expert committee approval.

J&K has seen repeated disasters in recent years. At least 50 people died in flash floods at Chishoti last year, and a cloudburst in Poonch's Surankote tehsil in July this year killed 17 people. Since June 1, nearly 35 cloudburst incidents have been reported across the UT.

A scientific study by Kashmir University researchers identified five glacial lakes—Bramsar, Chrisar, Nundgol, Bhagsar and Gangabal—as "very high susceptibility" for outburst floods, threatening 2,704 buildings, 15 major bridges, road segments and one hydroelectric plant downstream.

The DMRRR is implementing a five-pronged strategy: creating a GIS-based multi-hazard risk atlas using digital terrain and elevation modelling, enforcing building safety codes, updating district disaster management plans, integrating risk reduction into master plans, and establishing a disaster management training institute. It also plans an MoU with the Geological Survey of India for landslide forecasting and targeted mitigation for glacial lakes and unstable slopes.