SRINAGAR: A study jointly conducted by the J&K Department of Department of Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing (DEERS) and National Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO, Hyderabad revealed that unprecedented rainfall in the first week of September had triggered the worst-ever floods in the State.
“The floods in Jammu and Kashmir were the result of high rainfall in the catchments over a short period of time, which amounts to cloud bursts and is a combined effect of the extreme event, and less capacity of the drainage system to hold the quantum of water resulting in overflowing of banks and ultimately lead to the floods,” reveals the study.
The study pointed out that there was incessant rain on September 4 ,which lasted for 30 hours. “In three days, the rainfall recorded 450 mm, which was very unusual.” According to the study, normally rainfall takes place in J&K from July to mid-September.
“On September 3 there was a rainfall deficit of 32 per cent but on September 8, it showed excess of 18 per cent i.e. a change of 50 per cent in five days. There was a confluence of three main rain bearing systems over Punjab that lead to heavy rains in Kashmir,” it said.
Stating that rainfall data estimates from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) of NASA was also considered in the report, the study revealed that Lidder catchment in Pahalgam in South Kashmir received the maximum rain fall of 277 mm with adjoining catchments receiving around 200 mm rainfall, which was way above normal.
Other catchments also received very heavy rainfall leading to floods.