Jhelum bund breaches, panic in Raj Bagh

A breach in Jhelum bund has panicked Kursoo Raj Bagh, a locality devastated in September floods. Four houses have developed cracks while soil continues to erode, reports and witnesses said.

Scores of families are living under constant fear as the embankment has breached. “The continous rains have brought back fears in our minds as the embankment has breached. We fear in case of rise in water level, the locality would again be inundated,” said locals.

“The flood victims are yet to come out from the losses caused by 2014 disaster while this is the new disaster in the making,” they said.

Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood and Control Department Mir Javaid Jaffar said the bund was safe. “The construction of residential houses at this place has come up illegally and we are going to dismantle them shortly,” he said.

“However, after the intervention of district administration, we are sending there around 1000 sand bags to provide some sort of protection to families residing in these houses for some time,” he said adding “the work on actual bund is going on and would be completed shortly.”

Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone along with a team of engineers Wednesday visited the spot and “directed the concerned to immediately ensure embankment at the site by way of sand and earth filled bags.”