Flood alert sounded in Srinagar as Jhelum swells

A flood alert was sounded in Srinagar city on Thursday as river Jhelum was flowing four feet above the danger mark after incessant rain, while 23 villages have been inundated by floods in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag and Kulgam.

Incessant rain over the past three days has wreaked havoc in many parts of the Valley with south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts the worst-hit.

“Flood alert has been sounded in Srinagar city and all emergency services have been pressed into service to meet the eventuality of a flood,” Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah said.

He said the Jhelum at Ram Munshi Bagh in the city was flowing at 22 feet, which is four feet above the danger mark. Two persons were washed away at Aboora in Budgam district on Wednesday while nearly 100 persons trapped in flood waters in south Kashmir were evacuated to safety.

A senior official said 23 villages in south Kashmir have been flooded so far. Some parts of Srinagar city along the banks of Doodh Ganga stream were flooded as the water was flowing over the banks.

Bone and Joint Hospital and adjoining residential areas of Barzullah, Natipora and Rambagh were flooded by the water.

Shah said the district administration has been monitoring the situation round-the-clock and taking steps to provide relief to the affected people. The patients at the Bone and JointHospital were shifted to the upper stories of the buildings following water-logging late on Wednesday night. The MET office has forecast more rains over the next 48 hours raising the possibility of more areas of Kashmir getting flooded.

An official of the weather office said Qazigund in south Kashmir received 156.7 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours up to 8.30 am on Thursday morning.

Srinagar recorded 52 mm rainfall in the corresponding period while Kupwara in north Kashmir received 119.4 mm rainfall.