SDRF personnel rescuing a family in Srinagar on Thursday.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Srinagar: The tireless overnight efforts of the Srinagar police, personally supervised by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) G.V. Sundeep Chakravarthy are being credited with preventing panic from spiraling into a full-blown repeat of the devastating September 2014 floods.
As the Jhelum spilled over in Budgam and water began threatening Srinagar’s low-lying areas late Wednesday night, police teams fanned out across the city, evacuating families, plugging breaches, and guiding residents to relief centres.
The crisis struck almost on the same date that the 2014 deluge had submerged much of Srinagar, leaving people terrified that history was about to repeat itself. Residents spent the night glued to smartphones, monitoring water level updates and making anxious rounds of the Jhelum bunds. But the district police, assisted by the SDRF and other government agencies maintained constant presence on the ground, leading evacuations in vulnerable pockets and ensuring stranded families were not left without help.
Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Akshay Labroo also remained on the ground, coordinating relief arrangements and supervising operations alongside the SSP.
“The combined presence of senior civil and police officers reassured people that the situation was being closely monitored and controlled,” said a resident of a flood-prone locality.
Officials said police quick response teams worked through the night, regulating traffic in flooded areas, relocating families and providing immediate assistance. Embankment breaches were identified and plugged in time, preventing water from inundating large parts of the city.
Dedicated helplines and contact numbers of senior officers were also circulated for public use.
While the Jhelum continued to flow above danger levels at Sangam and Munshi Bagh, officials reported that water began receding by Thursday morning, easing fears of a disaster.
The latest flood scare followed three days of incessant rainfall that triggered flash floods, landslides, and cloudbursts across Jammu and Kashmir, killing more than 160 people since mid-August. For many in Srinagar, the images of police boats rescuing families at night and senior officers supervising operations revived painful memories of 2014 — but also underlined how timely intervention and preparedness this time helped avert a similar tragedy.