The authorities in Kashmir have sounded flood alert as incessant rain and snowfall lashed the entire Valley causing water levels to surpass danger marks and disruption in normal life. A minor girl has been reported dead from north Kashmir while dozens were injured in incidents of road accidents triggered by water clogging, house-collapse and falling of trees. The authorities closed schools and colleges till Monday and state election commission is contemplating to delay by-poll in Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency scheduled on April 9. The universities have postponed examinations.
The authorities sounded flood declaration in view of the crossing of flood declaration level of 18 feet at Ram Munshi Bagh gauge in River Jhelum in central Kashmir. The water level at Sangam gauge in south Kashmir reached 20.3 ft at 7 pm nearly one ft below 21-ft mark when flood is declared. At Asham in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the Jhelum level was at 10.25ft , nearly four feet below flood declaration level of 14-ft.
The weather took a turn on April 4 with occasional drizzling but since April 5 morning heavy rainfall lashed the plains while the upper reaches were hit by moderate snowfall. On Wednesday evening, the weather pattern intensified with massive windstorms, lightening and thunder. On Thursday, the residents in Srinagar woke up to a modest layer of snow enveloping rooftops, roads and by-lanes, an unusual site in April.
Sensing trouble with the swelling level of River Jhelum, the authorities announced to close down schools and colleges in the Valley till April 10. The Kashmir University and Central University of Kashmir announced to postpone all scheduled examination s till next announcement.
Sources said a minor girl Shabana Saleem drowned in a nullah in Payerpora village of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Several passengers went missing when a cab plunged into a river in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The passengers were later rescued. Police shifted some families from Sopore and Kupwara in north Kashmir to the safer locations and provided its helping hand to the people and their vehicles stuck due to snowfall in Kupwara and Baramulla.
At least three persons sustained injuries when a tree fell on a vehicle they were travelling in at Sangrama on Srinagar-Baramulla highway in north Kashmir. Reports said that a flock of sheep perished after a house collapsed due to heavy rains in Shandi Balmatkote area of Mahore in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The heavy downpour, part from triggering flood-like situation, also resulted in damage to the crops, residential houses, buildings including schools and mosques in several parts across the Valley.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan chaired a meeting to review the situation arising out of the heavy precipitation. The meeting discussed measures being taken to tackle water logging and preparedness to deal with any kind of exigency. The authorities said that a contingency plan has been devised and official machinery put on alert to tackle any situation.
The soaring weather level has panicked the residents living in low lying areas and habitations along the banks of River Jhelum.
The residents are frightened in the backdrop of the September 2014 floods, which devastated several parts of Kashmir Valley, especially the capital Srinagar.
Sources said that the election commission is contemplating to postpone elections in Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary segment if the situation remained grim on Friday. However, the decision would be taken after the assessment of weather on Friday.
The meteorological department has predicted improvement in weather from April 7. “Snow in April in plains of Kashmir is not a frequent or annual phenomena but not unusual either as on earlier occasions also there has been snow in April-May as well, Director Meterology department Sonam lotus said.
“There will be significant improvement in weather from April 7,” lotus said.