Introduction: Kashmir, a land of breathtaking beauty and abundant natural resources, remains paradoxically underdeveloped when it comes to basic infrastructure and disaster preparedness. Despite decades of political attention, bureaucratic machinery, and central funding, the region has struggled — and continues to struggle — with routine failures in essential services. The recent and unprecedented summer heat in the Valley has once again exposed a glaring truth: Kashmir is unprepared for both ends of the weather spectrum — be it the harsh winters it has long been known for or the now-rising extreme summer conditions. What makes this crisis more disturbing is that the region isn’t lacking in resources — what it lacks is vision, planning, accountability, and political will. The people of Kashmir continue to suffer, not because nature has abandoned them, but because successive governments have done little more than enjoy the perks of power.
A Region Caught Unaware: Harash Summers, With Known Harash Winters: Historically, Kashmir has had to endure long, frigid winters. Heavy snowfall often disrupts transport, power supply, communication, and access to healthcare. Year after year, people brace themselves for weeks of isolation and hardship. Yet, despite being a known and recurring challenge, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure or disaster response over the years. Now, another dimension of climate vulnerability is making itself felt — harsh and prolonged summer heatwaves. This year, temperatures soared to levels rarely recorded in Kashmir’s climatic history, causing discomfort, health issues, and serious concerns over how schoolchildren and elderly citizens will cope. Yet again, the Valley finds itself unprepared, unequipped, and unsupported. Cooling systems are nearly non-existent in schools. Hospitals and public institutions lack temperature control infrastructure. Public awareness campaigns are missing. It’s as if the administration is surprised that climate change has reached Kashmir too.
Climate Change And Absence Of Preparedness: Unpredictable and extreme weather is no longer a distant threat — it is a present-day reality. The snow is becoming less predictable, summers are growing longer and hotter, and rainfall patterns are shifting. In such a scenario, planning for climate resilience is not optional — it is imperative. But what has been done so far? Very little. Instead of adopting a proactive approach, governments and local bodies have relied on reactive, patchwork solutions. Crises are managed as they come, with no long-term planning. Funds are allocated, reports are drafted, committees are formed — but the ground reality remains unchanged.
The Water Crisis;A Failure Of Management, Not Redourses: One of the most glaring examples of poor governance in Kashmir is the shortage of drinking water. It’s an irony of staggering proportions: a region that is home to mighty rivers, springs, glaciers, and lakes still sees its people struggling for a basic glass of clean water. The problem is not a lack of water — it’s the failure to manage, distribute, and preserve it efficiently. In a recent case, a locality faced a complete water supply breakdown despite pipelines being laid and household connections provided. When residents raised the issue as a legitimate grievance, instead of resolving the problem, the Jal Shakti Department shifted focus to verifying water supply agreements — as if to shift the blame onto consumers. Ironically, in the process, it was discovered that the agreements had been signed long ago, but the department itself had failed to issue registration books, thereby stalling the formal supply. Such incidents are not rare. They reflect a deeply rooted culture of evading accountability, where public grievances are met with red tape instead of resolution.
Where Is The Planning? The truth is stark: Kashmir has never been planned holistically or sustainably. Urban planning is either absent or outdated. Roads are narrow and poorly maintained. Drainage systems collapse at the first sign of rain. Even slight rainfall leads to waterlogging in large parts of Srinagar, triggering traffic chaos, school closures, and flooding of homes and markets. There are no designated bus bays, and tourist influx overwhelms basic infrastructure. As cities expand, development remains chaotic, haphazard, and politically driven. There is no climate-resilient master plan. There is no serious investment in renewable energy, despite Kashmir’s enormous hydro and solar potential. Towns and villages continue to lag behind in terms of basic civic amenities. Even when funds arrive under centrally sponsored schemes like the Smart City Mission, AMRUT, or Jal Jeevan Mission, the outcomes are negligible. Why? Because the focus remains on optics over substance. Roads are painted for aesthetics while potable water remains unavailable. Glitzy lighting projects and beautification drives are prioritized over waste management, public health, or disaster preparedness.
“Kashmiris show resourcefulness and resilience but feel disillusioned by unfulfilled promises and inadequate services. Winter presents unstable power supply, while summer complicates access to drinking water, despite abundant resources. There is a failure to utilize resources and plan for future needs. Infrastructure, including water, electricity, roads, and schools, urgently needs improvement. Governance must move beyond excuses and address systemic issues. Without proactive planning, Kashmir risks ongoing crisis. The people deserve a future that meets their aspirations, requiring committed governance and responsible leadership.”
Political Clomplacency And Bureaucratic Apathy: This dismal state of affairs isn’t accidental — it is the cumulative result of years of political complacency and bureaucratic apathy. Successive elected governments treated infrastructure development more as a slogan than a mission. Their priority was political survival, patronage politics, and self-congratulation. Long-term investments in institutions, infrastructure, or the environment never figured in their agendas. In the absence of elected governments, bureaucrats took over — but with limited accountability to the people, even they failed to deliver meaningful governance. Today, people are caught between past political negligence and current administrative indifference. Public grievances are often met with defensiveness instead of resolution. Officials expend more energy in denying failure or discrediting complainants, rather than fixing the system. This mindset needs to change — urgently.
Untapped Potential, Wasted Opportunity; Kashmir holds enormous untapped potential: Hydropower could meet local energy demands and even supply neighboring states. Spring water and glacier-fed rivers could provide sustainable drinking water systems. Eco-tourism and organic agriculture could create sustainable livelihoods. Solar energy could revolutionize off-grid villages and reduce dependency on diesel and firewood. But these opportunities remain largely unexplored due to a lack of long-term vision, transparent governance, and policy continuity.
What Needs To Be Done: To rescue Kashmir from this recurring cycle of crisis and helplessness, a paradigm shift in governance is essential. The region does not need token gestures — it needs transformative planning backed by political will and administrative sincerity.
Key Recommendations:
1. Formulate A Climate-Resilient Master Plan: Assess vulnerabilities and prepare for seasonal extremes across energy, disaster management, water, health, and education sectors.
2. Invest in Basic Infrastructure First: Roads, drainage, drinking water, schools, hospitals — these are non-negotiable foundations for resilience.
3. Modernize Water Management: Use technology to monitor supply, promote water harvesting, protect water bodies, and ensure accountability for failures.
4. Adopt Renewable Energy On A War Footing: Encourage solar rooftops, mini-hydro projects, and clean energy for rural areas.
5. Strengthen Local Governance: Empower Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies to act independently with adequate funding and training.
6. Shift from Reaction To Prevention: Build early warning systems, stock emergency supplies, and initiate climate awareness programs.
7. Ensure Accountability, Transparency: Introduce real-time grievance redressal platforms and enforce strict monitoring of public service delivery.
Conclusion: Kashmir doesn’t need sympathy — it needs sincere, serious governance. People of Kashmir are resourceful and resilient, but they are tired of broken promises, administrative indifference, and a lack of basic services. In winter, people struggle for stable power supply amid freezing temperatures. In summer, they struggle for drinking water, despite Kashmir being blessed with abundant natural resources to generate both power and water. These contradictions highlight the region’s failure to utilize what it already has, let alone plan for the future. Whether it’s water, electricity, roads, schools, or climate preparedness, the region needs systems that work. Excuses can no longer be passed off as governance. It’s time for those in power — elected or appointed — to stop defending the indefensible and start fixing what’s broken. The natural beauty and potential of Kashmir are beyond dispute. But unless vision is translated into action, and power is exercised with responsibility, the region will remain trapped in a loop of crisis and survival. The people of Kashmir deserve better. It’s time to stop managing the crisis — and start planning the future.
(The author is a freelancer. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Ahmad Ayaz
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