*Rains cause havoc in Jammu; NH, Doda-Kishtwar road closed
Fayaz Bukhari/ Gopal Sharma
Srinagar/jammu, Mar 29: Authorities have sound flood alert in Kashmir after incessant rains since yesterday led to rise in water level of river Jhelum creating panic among the people who are still haunted by last year’s worst floods that devastated Kashmir.
Official sources told Excelsior that as water level in Jhelum has touched16 feet they have issued a flood alert. He said that floods are declared at 18 feet and at 23 feet in Ram Munshibagh it crosses danger mark. “People living on either side of river have been asked to remain vigilant. Old men, women and children may be shifted to safer places”, he said.
Sources said the district administration has instructed all the employees involved in flood protection measures to report for duty at their respective beats. He said that rescue camps have been established at EDI Pampore and Marriage Hall Sanat Nagar.
Earlier, Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, Javed Jaffar, told Excelsior that water level in Jhelum has risen by 4 feet in last 24 hours but it was still half a feet below danger in Srinagar. He said that water level at Sangam was 17 feet at 9 p.m. one feet below danger mark, 15.5 feet at Ram Munshibagh in Srinagar, half a feet below danger mark at 9 p.m.. He said that there is no need to panic as rains have stopped and it is snowing upstream in South Kashmir. He, however, said that water level may increase as the rain water from South Kashmir is yet to reach Srinagar.
Director Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus, told Excelsior that weather will improve from tomorrow bringing some relief to the people who are in panic in the flood prone areas of the Valley. He said that weather will remain mostly cloudy and there will be occasional rains.
Lotus said that another Western Disturbance is reaching the State on April 1 evening. He, however, said that it will bring moderate rains.
Heavy rains since yesterday led to rise in the water level of river Jhelum and its tributaries. The rains led to water-logging in majority of the city areas including Lal Chowk, Residency Road, Hari Singh High Street, Maulana Azad Road, Babdemb, Exhibition Crossing, Batamaloo, Karan Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh, Aloocha Bagh, Hyderpora, Chanapora, Natipora, Peerbagh, Bemina, Qamarwari, Shalteng, Umarabad, Firdousabad and various other localities.
The water-logging of roads, rising water level of river Jhelum and Flood channel has led to panic among the people in Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Bemina, Batmaloo, Karan Nagar, Lal Chowk, Jehanghir Chowk, Sonawar, Indra Nagar and other areas which were worst hit by September 2014 floods in which over 200 people died and over 20 lakh people were affected as 2.5 lakh house were damaged.
People in these areas shifted house hold items and other valuables to the homes of friends and relatives in the old city part of Srinagar and other safer places today. The shopkeepers in these areas including city Centre Lal Chowk shifted their goods to the safer places as they suffered huge losses in September last year floods.
Javed Ahmad whose family runs a shawl business in Kokerbazar area of Lal Chowk shifted the shawls to safer locations away from last year’s flood hit area. Javed said that they suffered loss to the tune of several crores of rupees in September floods. “We are taking no chance as last year as well Government assured us that there would be no floods in this area and we have lost faith as floods damaged our shawls worth crores of rupees”, he said.
The officials here said that there is no need to panic as the water level in river Jhelum is below danger mark. However, official assurances meant little to the people of flood-prone areas as scars and memories of that period still haunt them.
In Srinagar, water from the flood Channel at Sharifabad was entering towards the SKIMS Hospital backside due to siltation of the Hokersar wetland over the decades and lack of flood channel from Sharifabad to Narbal. The dispute between the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Wildlife department over construction of flood channel between Sharifabad and Narbal for last 4 years has led to flood threat for Srinagar city which has further increased after last year’s floods.
Floods washed away many diversions which were constructed after last year’s floods washed away several bridges in South Kashmir especially in Pulwama and Kulgam districts.
Police and civil administration has evacuated 237 families in South and North Kashmir and moved them to safer places.
Police and district administration in Budgam evacuated 221 families to safer places since yesterday, among them 99 families were provided tents. People has been shifted to schools and Panchayat Ghars and 68 families have opted to be with their relatives.
Police in Sopore also evacuated 13 families from Panzila, Rafiaabad and Dangiwacha areas of Sopore district. Police in Ananatnag evacuated a six member family to a safer place.
Police in Kupwara evacuated two families of Mauali Kasana son of Walia Kasana and Farooq Ahmad Kasana son of Ismail Kasana residents of Muqamrishi and were shifted to Middle School Rishawari which is a safer location.
In Baramulla of North Kashmir due to overflowing Ferazpora Nallah, water has entered villages Aarampora, Habak Tangoo, Bonechakal, Shale-Bone, Ghund Khwaja-Qasim, Matipora and Trikolbat. In Sangrama area of the district flood water have entered in villages Alibagh, Haigam Radigam, Haretar, Puthhah.
Flood waters have also entered in village Gutiyar, Khwajabagh and Noor Bagh in Baramulla. In Rafiabad flood water entered in Nowpora, Nadihal Chijhama and Ladoora. In village Vullarhama Rohama, 11 families have been shifted to safer places, while as in Dhobi Mohalla Dangiwacha one family has shifted to safer place. In Tangmarg, 7 families have shifted to safer places in Teran village.
As it has been snowing in the hills since yesterday, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has issued an avalanche warning for next 24 hours in the avalanche prone areas of Kulgam, Pulwama, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kargil districts.
“In view of the above, Deputy Commissioners of Kulgam, Pulwama, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kargil districts are requested to advise people not to venture in avalanche prone areas during above mentioned period. During heavy snowfall, people are advised not to occupy and temporarily evacuate those locations which are under fall line of avalanches. The concerned Deputy Commissioners are asked to take all precautionary measures so as to avert any untoward incident”, the Divisional Commissioner said in his communication.
Authorities closed all the schools upto 8th Standard in Kashmir valley following incessant rains. “Schools in Valley shall remain closed on March 30 and 31 due to bad weather conditions”, Director School Education, Showkat Ahmad Beigh said.
Kashmir University and board exams scheduled for March 30 and 31 were also postponed.
A BOSE official said that 10th class exams scheduled for Monday (March 30) have been postponed due to bad weather and fresh date will be announced separately.
In Jammu, the heavy rain and hailstorm in the region created havoc, paralyzing normal life since last evening while Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was blocked at four places due to fresh landslides and shooting stones in Ramban and Udhampur areas.
With the thunder and wind-storm, the power supply to many areas was affected and in many rural areas it could not be restored till this evening. In Jammu city also the power supply remained snapped for more than 12 hours. The water logging in the city and floods in the seasonal nallahs created problem for the smooth flow of traffic while vehicles on many rural belts remained stranded for hours together. The flood was also witnessed in river Ravi, Chenab, Ujh and Basantar but the water level remained below danger mark.
Reports from Poonch said that approach road on both sides of the Bailley bridge over river Poonch was washed away due to flood last night. The main link to Poonch from Jammu-Rajouri, was again cut off and the vehicles have now been diverted via Kalai bridge and Dera Nangali Sahib to Poonch. In Mendhar and Surankote area power supply to many villages has been snapped.
IGP Traffic, J&K J P Singh said that yesterday the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for ensuring repair work at the main bottle necks in Ramban, Ramsoo, Maggarkote, Nashri and Kheri area. At three main points Gangroo, Magarkote and Nashri the restoration work was accomplished by BRO men but in the evening heavy rain commenced and the landslides at these points blocked the highway last night. At yet another additional point between Chanderkote and Nashri the landslides created blockade. The Kheri sliding zone near Udhampur, was also blocked this afternoon.
Mr Singh said that apprehending road blockade, they had already stopped the movement of vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar and Doda-Kishtwar since early morning at Udhampur TCP. Nearly 250 light and medium passenger vehicles which moved ahead of Udhampur have been stranded between Chanani, Kud and Batote. They were sent back to Udhampur as the BRO men were on the job to clear Kheri landslides. The passengers will be accommodated in Udhampur and District administration there is involved in making arrangements for the struck passengers. The IGP said that tomorrow no vehicle will be allowed as the condition of road was worst and moreover, Doda-Kishtwar road was also blocked.
Meanwhile, a large number of Kashmir bound load carriers and other vehicles besides those destined for Doda-Kishtwar have been stranded at Nagrota Bypass, Jagti, Udhampur Bypass, Dhar road and Manwal area. About 1200 trucks and other load carriers are reported to have been stranded at these places. The fresh snowfall has also been reported at Jawahar tunnel and the road has been closed there.
A Met office spokesman said that Jammu recorded 59.5 mm rainfall and Srinagar 65.6 mm since last evening. He said the rain would continue tomorrow and the little improvement in the weather would be witnessed after Monday evening. He said from April Ist, the weather would again be rainy due to western disturbances. In entire J&K moderate to heavy rainfall would occur at most places with snowfall at higher reaches.
Reports from Reasi said that Mahore, Gool, and Mahore Chasana-Budhal roads were also closed due to landslides. Helicopter service to Mata Vaishnodevi shrine remained suspended today while Yatra was going on despite continuous rain. Ramnagar-Dudu-Basantgarh road was also blocked today at two places. The power transformer at Dharmari caught fire with strong beam of light during lightning hit it. The power supply has also been affected at Thannamandi, Kotranka and Budhal. 33 KV line to Budhal has been badly hit while HT wire near ITI at Rajouri affected power supply to many localities of the town.
In Jammu city, it was totally darkness at around 2.30 pm. The sky was over cast with thick black clouds and the vehicles were seen moving with full headlights on. Thereafter, hail-storm commenced and in many area of Jammu and Samba, it also caused damage to the crops. The detailed report are yet awaited. The water logging was witnessed at Jewel Chowk, Canal Road, Nanak Nagar and many other areas of the city. The vehicular movement also remained disrupted on several link roads in Akhnoor, Jammu, Samba and Kathua areas due to flash flood in the nallahs. Most of the people stayed indoor due to continuous rain throughout the day.
The Director SKIMS hospital, Dr Showkat Ahmad Zargar, told Excelsior that they have shifted some patients from the SKIMS hospital Bemina as precautionary measures. He said that there was water logging in some parts of the SKIMS medical college Bemina so some patients were shifted to SKIMS Soura as precautionary measures.
An official spokesman said that people living in the low lying areas of Srinagar and Pulwama have been asked to move to safer places.
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