Jhelum River, which is the proud lifeline of Kashmir, is increasingly showing symptoms of irreversible damage. Recent reports, RTI replies and expert studies are pointing to a series of warnings in cold, harsh numbers which can be ignored at our peril. As per RTI documents, the Jhelum has not been dredged in the last five years. Under Phase-I of the Comprehensive Flood Management Programme (CFMP), 31 projects were tendered but only 16 have been completed. Then there are mounting encroachments. Per data, 1,884 encroachments along the river and its flood-spin channels have been identified in multiple divisions including Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag, and Kupwara. Post-2014 flood works did help briefly. After the 2014 deluge, Phase-I of the flood management plan boosted the Jhelum’s carrying capacity in Srinagar from 31,800 cusecs to around 41,000 cusecs. But current capabilities remain far too low: As of now, official estimates place the river’s carrying capacity at around 31,000 cusecs, with its flood (spill) channel at just 8,700 cusecs. Under Phase-II of the plan, ongoing works aim to raise capacity to roughly 60,000 cusecs (river plus spill channels) to better handle major flood discharges. These numbers aren’t dry or academic. They represent real risk. Kashmir has recorded 34 notable floods since 1800, averaging one major flood every six years. The 2014 flood exposed how silt-choked channels magnify damage with weakened flow, slowed drainage and channels choked with silt, irrigation fails, wetlands shrink while waterlogging intensifies in cities. Even during non-flood periods, low flow and excessive silt degrade water quality and aquatic life. What the government needs to do is to resume dredging now and not just piecemeal canal desilting. Full-scale dredging of the Jhelum’s main riverbed and spill channels must recommence immediately to recover lost carrying capacity and restore safety margins. The second phase must be completed without delay with the aim to increase capacity to ~60,000 cusecs. It must be fully financed, managed, and monitored. There is also the need to tighten enforcement on encroachment and illegal activity. Boundary walls, unregulated structures, and tree-planting on embankments are not minor violations; they block flood flows and accumulate silt, reducing channel cross-section. The management must also focus on silt upstream and catchment management with erosion control, afforestation, regulation of mining in tributaries, preventing soil wash into the river which must accompany dredging to make it sustainable. Finally, there must be transparent timelines and accountability with public disclosure of project progress, expenditure and obstacles. If these steps are delayed, the costs will multiply. The Jhelum’s carrying capacity is a buffer against catastrophe. If the river fails, Kashmir will too.