The Kashmir Valley witnessed multiple breaches of the embankments of the river Jhelum at Zonipora in Pulwama and the Shalina area of district Budgam. The administration reported breaches at multiple locations, leading to flooding of many residential areas as well as rice fields. The authorities, as a preemptive and precautionary measure, advised residents to evacuate the areas, including Lasjan, Soiteng, Nowgam, Vyethpora, Golpora, Padshahi Bagh, and Mehjoor Nagar, and move to safer places. Announcements were made through local committees, masjids, and local revenue and police authorities in these areas. Dozens of houses were submerged halfway in floodwater.
Bashir Ahmad, a resident of one of the submerged areas, said, “At around 3 am we heard the Jhelum had breached and we started shifting our people from here, but we couldn’t take our household belongings out from our homes. We had around 800 households and about 2,500 voters. We are farmers, and thousands of kanals of paddy that was ready have been destroyed.”
Many other areas in districts Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag have been inundated. The horticulture and agriculture sectors have suffered huge losses as apple orchards and rice fields came under water. Many factories and workshops were submerged, causing crores of losses in machinery. People were seen scared as the water, still in full flow, moved towards other residential areas of Srinagar, evoking memories of the 2014 Kashmir floods.
Add Zee News as a Preferred Source
Authorities too were seen on their toes. Around 20,000 people were evacuated the previous night and today, averting potential loss of life. Eyewitnesses described terrifying scenes as families hurriedly evacuated, carrying children and essentials while navigating through rising waters.
Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, said, “We had anticipated this situation and took necessary precautions. Although we faced challenges, our early response has helped minimize the impact. The water levels at key locations such as Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh are receding, offering a glimmer of hope amid the crisis. This is a positive sign for our ongoing relief efforts.”
Authorities had put SDRF and JKP also on rescue missions in submerged areas. As many as 9,000 people were rescued from south to central Kashmir by JKP and SDRF.
Coverage with the SDRF team while they were carrying out rescue operations showed that we too got stuck in the flood.
Besides, the Indian Army’s 50 RR was also active in south Kashmir and distributed food items and other relief material among flood-affected people at Zainapora village of Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Later in the evening, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah toured the submerged areas and reviewed the situation.
Omar said, “The administration has been on the ground, and everyone was taken out without any casualty. The central teams coming to survey Jammu district should also come to the Kashmir division. The paddy crop was ready, and we need to compensate the farmers. A relief package from the Centre should be approved for both Jammu and Kashmir.”
But Omar questioned the flood management work of the last 11 years. He said, “What was done after the 2014 floods? We had a package for dredging, but all these years have been wasted, and I will review what has been done in the last 11 years. We need to come up with something to find a solution so that this doesn’t happen again.”
Earlier today in Kishtwar district, four people were injured in a landslide at the 850 MW Ratle power project at Drabshalla in J&K. The authorities have advised people to stay away from all water bodies. Jammu and Kashmir Police have activated a comprehensive evacuation plan to safeguard citizens’ lives. Police teams from various stations have been deployed under the supervision of territorial officers to vulnerable locations across the Valley.
The water level in the river Jhelum is still above the danger mark but has been receding since morning. The MeT department has also predicted no rains for the next 12 hours, which can bring some relief from the weather’s fury.
