File photo of snow-capped Kashmir Valley
Highlight
- The water level at the confluence of Anantnag district is 21.60 feet. measured
- Police rescued 50 passengers in ten vehicles stranded due to snowfall
- Water logging affected many houses in Bemina, Rambagh and Rajbagh areas of the city.
Flash floods in Kashmir: Heavy rains lashed Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, causing flash floods and landslides, forcing authorities to close schools and evacuate people from low-lying areas in several districts, including Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, while strategic Jammu- Srinagar National Highway remained blocked. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded for the second day.
Officials said the Jhelum in Kashmir has crossed the danger mark at Sangam in Anantnag district and the water level in other rivers is also rising.
He said that high alert has been sounded in the areas near Chenab river and its tributaries. Officials said snowfall in the higher reaches, including the holy cave of Amarnath, led to a sharp drop in the day temperature.
Officials said the police rescued 50 passengers in ten vehicles stranded due to snowfall and heavy rains in the high altitude area of Kishtwar district on Wednesday afternoon.
“Snowfall and heavy rain caused flash floods in Simthan Top area, after which 50 passengers including some women and children were trapped. Police got the track cleared and after a lot of effort, all the passengers were rescued,” an official said.
He said the water level at Sangam in Anantnag district was measured at 21.60 feet, which is slightly above the 21 feet mark of the declared flood.
The Vaishava stream, mainly flowing through Kulgam district, was flowing dangerously above the flood danger mark. However, the water level started receding from 10 am onwards, officials said.
A crack was reported in Kulgam in a temporary diversion along the Vaishava stream as Chamgund, he said, adding that several areas of the district have been flooded.
Authorities have started shifting people from low-lying areas to safer places. The Dudhganga stream was also flowing close to the flood alarm level at Barzulla in the heart of the Civil Lines area of Srinagar.
Meteorologists had predicted an improvement in the weather later in the day. Schools were closed in many parts of the Valley due to heavy rains, leading to waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Several houses have been affected by water logging in Bemina, Rambagh and Rajbagh areas of the city.
A group of 14 trekkers were stranded near Tarser lake in south Kashmir and a rescue team was rushed to the spot from Pahalgam.
As per available data, snowfall in the upper reaches and rain in the plains have brought down the mercury and Srinagar has witnessed the coldest day of June in nearly 50 years.
Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 15.0 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, which was 14.2 degrees below the normal at this time of the year. An incident of house collapse has also been reported from Ramban district, while five people trapped in flash floods in Ans river in Reasi district were rescued by the police, officials said.
Doda district administration has declared high alert in many areas of the hill district.
“We have been forced to declare a high alert in areas close to the Chenab river and its tributaries, and on slopes and slide prone areas of Ramban and Doda districts,” an official said.
The 270-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as over 30 landslides and heavy rains triggered landslides in the Ramban-Udhampur sector, trapping hundreds of vehicles, officials said.
He said that traffic on the Mughal Road, an alternate link connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region with Shopian district of south Kashmir, has also been suspended due to landslides along the way.
Apart from Doda, the deputy commissioners of Ramban and Kishtwar districts have also ordered closure of all educational institutions up to the higher secondary level, including private schools, for the day, an official said.
In a tweet, Deputy Commissioner Ramban Musrat Islam said, “Due to heavy rains and overflow of drains and mud at many places, all schools in Ramban district including higher secondary schools will remain closed today.”
Officials said a kutcha house collapsed in Dachhan, but all the people living in it were safe.
District Development said, in view of the adverse weather conditions and the report submitted by the Tehsildars, under the advisory, I have directed the CEO of Kishtwar to close all educational institutions in Kishtwar district today. We will assess the situation later in the day for further decision. Commissioner Kishtwar Ashok Sharma.
“So far there is no report of any damage from any part of the district,” the DDC said.
The Deputy Commissioners of these districts have issued advisories to the people to stay indoors in view of the flood-like situation developed in the hilly areas.
According to the weather office forecast, heavy rains have been predicted in Kishtwar district, which may cause temporary disruption of air and surface traffic, mainly on national highways and hill roads, besides land landslides and stones in sensitive places of the highway. Shooting can also happen. Issued by District Administration.
“District Police Kishtwar has set up a help desk and people are advised to stay at home and not step out of their house unnecessarily,” it said.
The district administration has also issued helpline numbers in case of any emergency.