Vithalani Kinjal Rajeshkumar, Bansal Neha, International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology. © 2017, www.IJARIIT.com All Rights Reserved Page | 863 ISSN: 2454-132X Impact factor: 4.295 (Volume 3, Issue 6) Available online at www.ijariit.com Causes and Effect of Kashmir Flood Kinjal Rajeshkumar Vithalani Student Arvindbhai Patel Institute of Environmental Design, Vallabh Vidhyanagr, Gujarat kinjalvithalani94@gmail.com Dr. Neha Bansal Associate Professor Arvindbhai Patel Institute of Environmental Design, Vallabh Vidhyanagr, Gujarat neha.bansal@apied.edu.in Abstract: September 2014 unprecedented floods in Jammu & Kashmir tell the tale of human misery not witnessed by this state in over 100 years. The devastation caused by the flood is colossal. It claimed over three hundred human lives and destroyed everything that came to its way-residential houses, schools, colleges, hospitals, paddy fields, orchards, government establishments and businesses et-cetera. It has rendered thousands of people homeless and jobless. Today in this paper we are going to analyse the causes of the flood and its impact on Kashmir, economically as well as socially. Keywords: Kashmir Flood, Causes of the Flood, Disaster Management. I. INTRODUCTION On the 6th of September, 2014, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed massive floods that left thousands stranded inside their submerged houses. By the evening of the first day of colossal flooding, 2500 villages across Kashmir had been affected, 160 people had died and dozens of houses were destroyed. The floods worsened over the next few days due to incessant rains and overflowing flood channels. By 19th, September, the death toll had climbed to 277 (official) with the numbers still on the rise as bodies were still being recovered from different areas of Kashmir; many people were still missing. By 25th, September it climbed to 285 (official) and crossed 300 (according to other sources) by the end of the month. One can hardly see the majestic Chinars, the fragrant pine trees and the luxuriant weeping willows that provided harbor to those buffeted by the fates? The enchanting beauty of Mughal gardens, refreshing springs, and Breath-taking waterfalls bemoan the state of the torn apart land, the Polluted streams, and the suffering people. The situation was worsened as nearly all the major hospitals were adversely affected and rendered defunct. Nearly 10 days after the floods, three major hospitals in the city still remained closed for patients while 2 partially resumed their services to some patients (outpatient care only). As the waters refused to recede quickly, there have been major concerns regarding the outbreak of epidemics due to the stagnant water. The next few months are going to be very important for the people of Kashmir as the damage is assessed and rebuilding, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts are initiated. II. SEVERITY OF THE FLOOD Jammu and Kashmir is a mid-size state situated in the northern part of India. According to the 2011 state census, there are 6,651 villages, 104 urban areas and 8 urban agglomerations in the state. These villages and towns are distributed in 22 districts and 82 sub-districts. The population of the state was recorded at 1.25 crores or 12.25 million. The floods directly affected more than 2,600 villages in the state and submerged 30 per cent of the urban areas. Out of the 2,600 villages, almost 400 villages were completely submerged and 2,225 partially submerged with more than 300 villages completely cut off (inaccessible). In the urban areas, the water levels rose up to 20 feet whereas many villages were cut off due to the destruction of the only bridges and roads leading into these villages. The continuous bad weather made rescue operations almost impossible for the first few days and the government struggled to make an appearance to help the people (Figures 1-7). In terms of districts, 10 out of the 22 districts were badly hit with the districts in South Kashmir experiencing severe devastation. Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, and Pulwama (all South Kashmir) districts were completely inundated and rendered