SRINAGAR: Normal life was badly hit in Kashmir valley due to heavy rainfall in plains and upper reaches on Tuesday causing dip in temperature. It also left many areas of the summer capital waterlogged resulting in traffic jams causing inconvenience to commuters.
The Meteorological department said the rainfall and decrease in temperature occurred due to Western disturbance. The downpour led to increase in water level of rivers, lakes and streams.
People accused the authorities of failing to upgrade drainage system in the city. The water-logging of main roads including Regal Chowk, MA Road, Residency Road, Natipora, Chanapora, Rambagh, Solina, Magarmal Bagh, Bemina and other localities led to traffic jams.
Reports of rainfall were also received from peripheral areas of the famous ski resort of Gulmarg and Amarnath cave shrine and adjoining areas in the periphery of famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir. The heavy rains led to increase in the water level of rivers, lakes, ponds and streams but there was no threat of immediate floods in the Valley, the officials said.
The rains have also resulted in water-logging in many parts of the city, especially in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and surrounding areas. Reports from old Srinagar said that the areas including Safa Kadal, Eidgah, Nowshehra, Soura and Ali Jan Road are inundated with water. Similar reports were received from Gulshan Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Gogji Bagh, Wazir Bagh, Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh and Bemina areas here.
Most of the important roads, lanes and by lanes in commercial hub Lal Chowk were also submerged due to water logging thus making the movement of pedestrians and traders difficult. Adjoining, Regal Chowk was also flooded.
The administration has failed to tackle the situation emerging from continuous rains. The administration was in deep slumber while the residents bear the brunt, said locals.
Incessant rains since raised water level in major streams in north Kashmir. The rains threw normal life out of the gear and disrupted power supply at many places, reports said. The rains raised water level in major rivers including river, Kehmil, Pohru, Mawar and Lolab nallah.
Residents of low-lying Bohipora, Moughalpora, Bramri, Moughapora and Jagadpora villages said the water level in Kehmil nullah and Pohru Nallah had increased considerably due to rains.
The Bus-stand, Lal Chowk and several other places were water logged in this town, causing inconvenience to the commuters. People blamed the poor drainage system in the town for water logging. Even a small downpour inundates the roads of the town thus causing inconvenience to the people, residents said.
They said that despite repeated pleas, authorities never bothered to improve the drainage facilities of the town even as the encroachments on water bodies has made the things worse.
The downpour resulted in water-logging on national highway from Khannabal to Pampore affecting movement of traffic, eye witnesses told KNS.
Massive traffic jams were witnessed at Bijbehara, Sangam, Awantipora, Barsoo and Pampore for several hours and the commuters had a tough time. We have put arrangements on place and people having any difficulty can contact us, said an SMC official.
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