Heavy rainfall on July 20, 2026, inundated several parts of Srinagar city, exposing long-standing weaknesses in the urban drainage system.
Key localities including Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Bemina, and Lal Chowk witnessed severe waterlogging, disrupting traffic and daily life. Commuters were stranded for hours as roads turned into streams.
Residents complained that despite repeated assurances, drainage infrastructure remains inadequate to handle intense rainfall, leading to recurring flooding during monsoon spells.
Officials from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation acknowledged the crisis and deployed dewatering pumps in affected areas, but admitted that the system is overstretched.
Experts noted that poor urban planning, encroachment on wetlands, and clogged drains have worsened the city’s vulnerability to heavy rains, turning even moderate showers into civic emergencies.
The Meteorological Department has forecast continued rainfall over the next 48 hours, raising concerns of further waterlogging and disruption in low-lying areas of the city.
