River Vishav Contribution to 2014 Devastating Floods of Kashmir (India)

Floods cannot be absolutely controlled but can be managed to reduce the losses. The changing climate is a major cause of the increasing trends in the erratic and heavy rainfall events causing floods. The rains those lashed out during the first week of Septemeber-2014 in Kashmir Valley resulting in a devastating flood is one of the examples of such hazards. Many attempts have been made by different agencies and the people to ascertain the cause of this devastating flood. Most of these studies focus on the River Jhelum’s main course and do not pay much attention to the role of its tributaries in the said event. The present study is an attempt to analyse the role of the most hazardous tributary of the River Jhelum, known as Vishav River in the horrible catastrophe. River Vishav is a major tributary of the river Jhelum and contributes to nearly one-fifth of its discharge. On basis of the information collected and the survey conducted after the floods, it is believed that this tributary of river Jhelum played a major role in the 2014- devastating floods. The present study highlights the present status of the river Vishav, its behaviour, its role in 2014 floods and flood mitigation measures in the Vishav basin.