The Ramban Disaster of April 20 - A Wake-Up Call for Resilience

IRFAN GANI BHAT Ramban district in Jammu & Kashmir was struck by a catastrophic cloudburst, unleashing flash floods and landslides that claimed three lives, injured dozens, and devastated infrastructure along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

- Said Dr Touseef Ahmed Socio Environmentalist

The disaster severed a vital economic life-line, destroyed homes, and displaced families, exposing the deadly interplay of natural hazards, climate change, and human negligence.

*Root Causes:*

*Natural Triggers:*

A sudden cloudburst, amplified by orographic lift in the Himalayan foothills, dumped unprecedented rainfall, overwhelming drainage systems. Hailstorms and unstable slopes comerosion.

*Impact:*

*Human Toll:* Over 40 homes destroyed, livelihoods shattered, and critical supply chains disrupted.

*Human Amplifiers:*