Jhelum swells; sets alarm bells ringing in Kashmir
Srinagar: Kashmir Valley remained on the edge on Monday as the water level in the Jhelum kept on rising due to incessant rains. The water level was at touching distance of ‘alarm mark’ of 18-ft in south Kashmir’s Sangam gauge at 8 p.m.
The Kashmir Media Service reported, an official of Irrigation & Flood Control Department revealed, “the water level recorded was at 16.91ft and as soon it crosses 21-ft mark, flood is declared”.
At Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar, the water was 14.00 ft against the alarm level of 18 ft and flood level of 21 feet, the officials said.
At Asham in northern Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the official said, the Jhelum level was at 14.0ft, almost 2.5-ft when flood alarm is sounded.
Regarding some tributaries, the official said, the water level in Vishow Nallah at Khudwani was 7.74m, 1.68 m in Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi while the nallah Lidder at Batkoot was at 0.60m.
Several areas of Bemina, one of the worst hit areas of Srinagar during once in a century floods in 2014, submerged.
Reports said the water from flood channel has seeped inside residential areas. Meanwhile, the department has urged people not to panic and remain “calm”.
“Please remain calm, there is no need to panic and don’t pay any heed to rumours,” the official added.
