Flood situation eases in Kashmir

With improvement in weather from last 36-hours, the flood threat in Kashmir reduced considerably on Friday as water level in river Jhelum and its tributaries receding, even though the river continues to flow above the danger mark. 

Officials said Jhelum was flowing at 23.70 feet at Sangam gauge in south Kashmir at 3 pm, as against the 27.50-feet on Thursday. The danger mark at Sangam is 23 feet.

The water level at Ram Munshi Bagh gauge in Srinagar was 21.15 feet at 3 pm, against the peak of 21.65 feet in the wee hours of Friday, they said.

Heavy rainfall from Tuesday night to Thursday afternoon led to a sudden surge in the water level of Jhelum and its tributaries forcing J&K government to declare flood in Kashmir and urging people living on the banks of the river to move to safer places.

A major breach in Jhelum embankment in South Kashmir’s Pampore area Thursday brought back the haunting memories of last year’s devastating floods, locals said. The breach in the river embankment occurred at the same spot where it took place during the September 2014 floods.

Reports said several bridges and diversions—constructed after the last year’s floods—were damaged again due to fresh flash floods in south Kashmir. The floods also reportedly damaged paddy and agricultural land in several villages.

Jammu and Kashmir was devastated by unprecedented deluge in September last year in which nearly 300 people were killed and property worth billions destroyed.