The story of 2025 in Jammu and Kashmir is not written in numbers, statistics, or government reports alone—it is etched in the faces of struggling hoteliers, worried farmers, indebted taxi drivers, and families rebuilding homes after nature’s fury. It is a year where one crisis followed another, giving little time to breathe, let alone recover.
The First Blow: April in Pahalgam: In April, as the valley’s tulips bloomed and the snow melted from the slopes of Pahalgam, tragedy struck. An attack in this tourist hub shattered not just lives but also the fragile trust of visitors who keep Kashmir’s economy alive. Within hours, the impact rippled out. Tourists canceled bookings en masse. Hotels that had prepared for the peak summer season found themselves empty. Taxi drivers sat idle at stands where they usually waited in long queues for passengers. Families that had taken loans to renovate their guesthouses or buy new vehicles felt a sudden knot in their throats. For the young man who had just bought a new Innova on bank finance, the EMI became a nightmare. For the houseboat owner on Dal Lake, the silence of the waters was no longer peaceful—it was painful. By May, tourism, one of the largest contributors to the region’s GDP, had virtually collapsed.
August: Floods Wash Away Hope in Jammu: Just when the tourism sector’s collapse was beginning to be absorbed, August arrived with torrential rains. Jammu witnessed floods so severe that people were reminded of 2014, but this time, the devastation was even broader. Rivers breached their banks. Roads disappeared under muddy waters. Shops, schools, and homes were drowned. Families climbed to rooftops to save their lives, while farmers watched helplessly as fields turned into lakes. For shopkeepers, stocks worth lakhs were destroyed in hours. For daily-wage workers, even a single day without work is unbearable—and here, they faced weeks of disruption. For rural communities, the loss of cattle, crops, and tools meant not just immediate hunger but also long-term financial insecurity. The August floods were not a one-off disaster; they were a reminder of how vulnerable Jammu and Kashmir’s infrastructure remains in the face of climate extremes.
September: Kashmir Joins the Suffering: Before the mud of August had dried, September brought another round of floods, this time hitting both Jammu and Kashmir. For many families, this was a cruel repetition—they had barely returned home from relief camps only to be evacuated again. In Kashmir, the floods didn’t just damage homes; they struck at the heart of the economy—horticulture. Orchards that had been nurtured for years were suddenly under water. Farmers who had counted the number of apples on each branch watched helplessly as the fruit dropped early and rotted.
Horticulture|From Pride To Pain: Apple cultivation is more than just business in Kashmir—it is heritage, culture, and survival. For generations, families have passed down orchards, each harvest a celebration of both labor and legacy. But in 2025, that pride turned to pain. The weather was unusually cloudy and moist through August and early September. Instead of healthy, ripening apples, farmers saw premature fruit drop. The produce that survived faced another obstacle: the Jammu-Srinagar Highway. Floods damaged this lifeline road, and thousands of trucks carrying apples were stranded. By the time some apples reached markets outside the state, quality had dropped and prices plummeted. Markets that once paid fairly for Kashmiri apples now offered throwaway rates.For farmers who had invested in fertilizers, pesticides, packaging, and labor, the losses were unbearable. Some openly admitted that they would not be able to recover even their basic costs this year.
“In 2025, Jammu and Kashmir faced severe economic setbacks due to a collapse in tourism, devastating floods, and failed horticulture, leading to a loss of income. While the recovery will be long and difficult, the paragraph expresses a hopeful outlook.”
A Chain Reaction Across The Economy: The crisis of 2025 are not isolated events. They connect like falling dominoes.
• Tourism collapse meant no earnings for drivers, guides, hotels, restaurants, handicraft sellers, or pony owners.
• Floods meant destroyed crops, ruined shops, and damaged infrastructure.
• Horticulture losses meant reduced rural incomes, which in turn reduced demand for everything from clothing to construction.
The banking sector has also felt the tremors. Thousands of borrowers who depended on seasonal income from tourism or horticulture to repay loans are now staring at defaults. Non-performing assets are expected to rise, adding yet another layer of stress to the local economy.
Beyond Economics|The Human Story: Behind every statistic lies a human story. A shopkeeper in Ramban who lost all his stock in the August floods now wonders how to pay for his daughter’s college fees. A farmer in Shopian, who nurtured his orchard like a child, breaks down when he sees the apples rotting on the ground. A taxi driver in Srinagar, unable to earn enough for his monthly EMI, fears the bank will seize his vehicle. The year 2025 has been particularly cruel because it robbed people of not just income but also hope. Each time the community tried to stand up, another blow pushed it down.
Lessons For The Future: While nature’s fury cannot be controlled, its impact can be managed. The disasters of 2025 underline the urgent need for:-
1. Stronger Disaster Preparedness: Flood forecasting, early warning systems, and better drainage networks are essential.
2. Resilient Infrastructure: The Jammu-Srinagar Highway must be rebuilt with long-term climate resilience in mind, not just temporary patches.
3. Economic Diversification: Over-reliance on tourism and horticulture makes the region fragile. Investment in IT, handicrafts, renewable energy, and agro-processing could provide alternative employment.
4. Insurance That Works: Crop insurance and loan waivers during genuine disasters can prevent farmers from sinking deeper into debt.
5. Community-Based Support Systems: Strengthening cooperatives, self-help groups, and local markets can provide resilience during crises.
A People That Refuse To Break: And yet, despite everything, one truth remains unshaken: the resilience of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They have endured curfews, lockdowns, militancy, economic shocks, and natural disasters. They have seen roads destroyed and rebuilt, crops lost and replanted, homes swept away and reconstructed. In villages, neighbors still share food during floods. In towns, youth still volunteer for rescue missions. Families still cling to hope, because hope is what has kept this land alive for centuries.
Conclusion| Darkness Before Dawn: 2025 has been a year of repeated setbacks for Jammu and Kashmir’s economy—tourism collapsed, floods devastated, horticulture failed, and incomes disappeared. It will take years to recover fully. But history also shows that this land, no matter how battered, has always risen again. Yes, the scars are deep. Yes, the wounds are fresh. But with every fall, there comes a rise. With every night, there comes a morning. InshaAllah, Jammu and Kashmir will rise again.
(The author is a geotechnical engineer from Marnal Maligam Pogal, Ramban, Jammu and Kashmir. 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”) Navaid Runyal
