SRINAGAR: A flood alert has been issued in Srinagar by the government after the Jhelum river neared the danger level mark at the Ram Munshi Bagh locality in the upper city Sunday evening due to incessant rain over the last 24 hours.
Water levels have been rising throughout the day in Jhelum and it was only two feets from the danger level at Ram Munshi Bagh at around 10 PM on Sunday night.
District administration in Srinagar meanwhile urged people not to panic even as it asked those living adjacent to river banks to move to safer places.
Flood alert was sounded on late Sunday in Srinagar city as River Jhelum was flowing 16 feet at Ram Munshi Bagh. All emergency services have been pressed into service to meet the eventuality of a flood, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone said.
He advised people living along the banks of River Jhelum to remain vigilant and shift the elderly and children to the safer places. If the Jhelum will cross the 18 feet at Rammunshi Bagh then situation of flood will be declared and if God forbid it crosses the mark of 23 feet it will be considered a danger level, he said but was quick to add that at 10 PM on Sunday the water level at Ram Munshi Bagh was 16 feet.
The heavy downpour has inundated many low-lying areas of Srinagar including Rajbagh, one of the worst-hit areas during the unprecedented floods in September last year.
The main road in Rajbagh is covered by more than 18 inches of water while roads in other areas of the city, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and the adjoining Regal Chowk, are also water-logged.
Deputy Commissioner said that the operation to drain out water was earlier delayed due to a technical fault in the power supply system.
“The fault in electricity supply has been removed and dewatering has been started. Besides the regular dewatering stations, we are pressing into service fire tenders to dewater the city roads,” Mr Lone said.
The rainfall has also forced the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to landslides at some places, an official of the Traffic Department said. He said the road was closed yesterday for repairs but a fresh spell of rain resulted in the arterial road remaining closed for the second consecutive day.
In Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, eight houses were destroyed and 26 others were partially damaged last evening due to a landslide caused by the rain.
The valley has been witnessing heavy rainfall since Saturday, leading to a sudden surge in water level in rivers, streams and rivulets.
The Met Department has predicted more rain over the next six days with heavy rain expected through the night and on April 3.
Meanwhile Lone said, all arrangements have been kept in place there, the DC also informed that administration was alive to the situation and all measures required to deal with situation have been put in place.
“For those who have no place to go, Govt has kept open Sanant Nagar Marriage Hall and EDI Pampore for them, he said.
It is to mention here that incessant rains have been lashing Kashmir since Saturday night, which has led to sharp rise in water level in streams and rivulets across the valley.
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