Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 18: The flood affected people especially those living in tents and temporary shelters shivered last night as the temperature slipped below freezing for the first time this winter.
A Meteorological official said that Srinagar, the worst-hit in the September floods, recorded the coldest night of the season with a low of minus 0.3 degree Celsius.
Qazigund, in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 1.4 degree Celsius, while the minimum temperature in north Kashmir’s Kupwara town also fell and settled at minus 1.2 degree Celsius.
Gulmarg, recorded a low of minus 0.2 degree Celsius. Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir was shivering at season’s low of minus 8.6 degree Celsius.
Leh was the coldest place in the region with a low of minus 10.0 degree Celsius and Kargil recorded a minimum of minus 7.2 degree Celsius
The weatherman has forecast further dip in the night temperature in the coming days due to dry weather. Owing to the dry weather, the days are warmer but the night temperature has started slipping below the freezing point.
With the onset of the winter, many of the displaced families were forced to take shelter at the homes of their relatives, rented accommodation, Government buildings and places of worship to escape the biting cold.
Around 5 lakh flood victims of the State are facing the worst and advanced winter as most of them are living in tents, temporary shelter or flood affected houses.
According to official figures 1, 04, 206 houses including 83, 044 pucca and 21, 162 kacha were destroyed infloods.
The figures suggest that 1, 50, 353 houses including 96,089 pucca houses and 54,264 kacha houses were partially damaged.
Bilal Ahmad of Wazir Bagh whose house collapsed in the floods and is living in a single room with his relative. “We are shivering here and Government has not provided us any assistance so far. I went to DC office several times but no money was paid to be under SRDF norms”, he said.
Javed Ahmad, resident of Rajbagh, who lives in a tent on the bank of river Jhelum near Foot Bridge says that that they are shivering in the cold in the tents. He said that they need warm accommodation before the onset of the Chilia Kalan, the coldest part of winter that begins on December 21.
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