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2 drowned, water level receding after flood-like situation

D S AHMAD. Dated: 7/1/2018 9:41:17 PM

ANANTNAG, Jun 30: Two persons were drowned in Kashmir today. However, following improvement in the weather conditions late this afternoon, the water level started receding in rivers and nallahs in valley
Reports said a man died after he slipped into the Vaishaw Nallah in Checkpora village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
An official said that the deceased identified as Tariq Ahmad Dar, son of Rahman Dar, a resident of Checkpora Kulgam drowned into the Vaishaw Nallah, while he was trying to catch some flanks of wood.
However, Dar’s body was fished out and doctors in the hospital declared him as brought dead.
A teenager was drowned in Bemina flood channel in Srinagar while rescuing a dog from drowning.
Reports said that the boy, identified as Asif Ahmad of Nagrota Jammu, drowned while saving a dog from drowning in Bemina flood channel.
Asif, according to reports, was putting up in a makeshift tent along with his family at Tengpora.
After creating panic and flood like situation in Kashmir, the water level started receding in rivers and nallahs slowly as the rains stopped late this afternoon.
However, the state machinery continues to be in a high state of alertness. The people in the low lying areas were asked to be alert and ready for evacuation if the need arose. A number of areas in and around Srinagar got submerged under water creating panic in other areas and forcing people in some areas to move to safer areas.
The state government identified relief and rehabilitation camps at several places. Governor N N Vohra himself monitored the situation and chaired high level meetings. He visited several areas.
The increase in the water level in Jehlum and other nallahs due to continuous rainfall since Thursday created panic among the people living along the banks of the rivers.
Though the authorities had declared flood alert in South Kashmir last evening after the water level in Jehlum continued to rise but the halt in rains since this afternoon brought a respite to the people living in low lying areas and river banks.
The water level in Jehlum near earlier in the day had touched 23 two feet above the level when the flood alert is declared, however at 8 PM the water level had receded to 22 feet .
In Vaishaw nallah that had caused major devastation during 2014 floods, the water level at 8 pm was recorded 7.20 near Khudwani while as in Rambiara naalah the guage reading was 3.19.
A top official of the flood and irrigation control said that though both the Jehlum and other nallahs that had flooded many areas in 2014 were flowing ferociously throughout the day but since afternoon water level in all these water bodies started receding.
In all the four districts of south Kashmir Kashmir, the official said, control rooms had been set up to meet any challenge and people had been asked to remain vigilant.
"The people of low lying flood prone areas living along the banks of nallas had already been asked to be cautious. They had already shifted their belongings to safer places as a precautionary measure," the official said.
In Pulwama district, the official said, there was a breach in Jehlum embankment near Lethpora which was immediately plugged.
As soon as the breach occurred, men and machinery were immediately pressed into service to plug the breach.
"Around hundred labourers with the help of police personnel plugged the breach with sand bags, thus preventing Pampore area from flooding," an official said.
In Anantnag and other townships Jehlum is flowing through, panicky people throughout the day were seen watching the water level and praying for halt in rains.
In district Kulgam, which had been severely affected due to 2014 floods a road near Chambgund village was washed away by the fast flowing waters of Vaishaw thus cutting off the village from Tehsil and district headquarter.
In Adijan village a diversion, which had been constructed after 2014 floods following the washing away of the bridge connecting the village to Tehsil headquarter, was also washed away.
Officials of the district administration, police and flood department visited both the villages to take stock of the situation.
An official said that once the water level recedes completely in the nallah repair work on both the washed away road and diversion will be started. Meanwhile, officials in many flood prone areas were seen on their toes throughout the day taking stock of the situation arising out of the incessant rains.