Non-stop torrential rains cause panic in Kashmir Valley

Panic has gripped many Kashmir Valley areas particularly summer capital Srinagar as nonstop torrential rains since Saturday evening have resulted in rise in water level in rivers, streams and lakes and many residential areas have been inundated, mainly due to failure in drainage system.

At places, residents were seen moving out to safer places or shifting their household items and belongings to upper floors of their houses. Traders in several water-logged Srinagar areas including City centre Lal Chowk too are shifting their merchandise to safer places as the water level in the Jhelum rose menacingly. The weatherman has predicted more rains and snowfall in upper reaches of the Valley till April 4. As a precautionary measure, some educational institutions including Srinagar’s Delhi Public School have been closed for two days from Monday. Panic buying of eatables and other essentials could be witnessed in marketplaces elsewhere in the City, not faced with any flood threat.

In September 2014, Jammu and Kashmir was hit by worst floods of its history leaving, at least, 300 people dead and thousands of residential houses, business establishments and other properties destroyed or damaged. Srinagar was worst hit in the deluge and its residents are still trying to cope with the impact of the ‘natural disaster’.

Though the government has dismissed any immediate flood threat to the Valley, the authorities also said that they are taking all precautionary measures and are in preparedness to face any eventuality. The State’s Irrigation and Flood Control Department which had miserably failed in facing the situation in September last year is said to be on high alert this time. “We have kept the entire administration including the flood control department on alert. There is no reason to panic,” Gazanfar Hussain, Kashmir’s divisional commissioner, told reporters here.

Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Kumar Singh, informed the State Assembly, now in its budget session in winter capital Jammu, that the administration is on high alert and the situation is being monitored continuously. He also said people should not panic and assured that all precautionary measures have been put in place.

Minister of State for Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control, Abdul Majid Paddar, also assured there is no flood threat in Kashmir Valley at the moment and said that the water logging has taken place due to incessant rains and blockage of drains in Srinagar city. “People need not to worry as government has already put in place necessary measures and situation is being reviewed minute by minute”, he told reporters in winter capital Jammu. He further said that the government is ready to face the challenges thrown by the inclement weather.

Later he flew in Srinagar where he reassured the water levels in Jhelum at Sangam, Ram Munshi bagh and Asham were not alarming at that moment and “there is no panic situation at all”. However, a special control room has been set up at Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar to monitor the situation round the clock.

The government also announced that in view of the worsening weather situation, a ministerial team comprising Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari, Imran Raza Ansari, Muhammad Ashraf Mir and Asiya Naqash is monitoring the situation on hourly basis at Srinagar. Minister for Flood Control, Sukhnandan Kumar was also on way to Srinagar, it added.

Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who was in Delhi “is also on way to Srinagar to personally monitor the situation arising due to incessant rains in the Valley,” an official hand out said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura said in the Assembly that due to the continuous downpour various areas of the valley’s central district of Budgam have been affected by way of land erosion and landslides as the district comprises mainly of Karewa land. He added that 221 families of 18 villages have been evacuated and shifted to safer places.

Former Chief Minister and Opposition National Conference (NC) leader, Omar Abdullah, had single handily tried to cope with the deluge in September 2014 from the government side made an appeal to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to arrange for additional flights between Srinagar and Jammu for the stranded passengers. He wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com “Request Govt Of India @PMOIndia @Narendramodi to operate some additional flights between Jammu & Srinagar tomorrow for people stuck…The highway is closed & flights are totally sold out. With this flood like situation people need/want to fly home but can’t.”
Chief Minister, Mr. Sayeed, later held a meeting with top government functionaries in Srinagar to review the situation. A high alert has been sounded across the Valley and rescue and relief teams are ready to move into affected areas “if the need arises”, said officials. They also said that all schools have been closed for students up to 8th Class till Wednesday and all examinations to be conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education and Kashmir University on March 30 and 31 have been postponed till further orders.

Civilian volunteers and members of Non-governmental organisations were seen moving in the residential areas of Srinagar inundated by rain waters with airboats and other equipment.