SRINAGAR, Sept 7:
The flood fury unleashed more destruction in Kashmir, leaving many marooned, even as relief efforts were intensified today.
The marauding flood waters from major rivers and streams have damaged many buildings, including hospitals, and snapped road and communication links, cutting off many areas. The Army cantonment, Civil Secretariat and the High Court in Srinagar were also inundated.
Large areas in Kashmir were enveloped in flood waters following incessant rains since Wednesday.
Over 13,000 people have been rescued from various areas by Army and IAF. But many people were trapped and awaiting help in upper stories of buildings in low-lying areas, including in Srinagar and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured them that help will reach soon.
150 boats, rescue teams, divers, flood lights and search lights are being sent to the state, officials said, adding there was also need for more tents.
River Jhelum was in spate in several places, breaching embankments, which has led to flooding of residential and commercial areas.
In Srinagar, the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and surrounding areas were inundated and the water levels at Civil Secretariat and High Court rose to six to eight feet.
Officials said vital roads including the airport road, Exhibition Crossing, Hari Singh High Street, Lal Chowk and Regal Chowk have been submerged under several feet of water.
Access to main hospitals like SMHS and Lalla Ded has been cut off due to flooding of roads.
Communication system has been disrupted with all almost all private cellular networks out of order. The landline telephone network has also been badly affected.
Electricity and water supply has remained disrupted in affected areas for the past six days now.
The Weather Department has forecast “no major rainfall” in the Valley as well as in Jammu as well in next four days
“We are facing shortage of boats for rescuing people from inundated areas. A lot of 100 boats is being airlifted from Delhi,” Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal said.
Kansal said many people were trapped in several localities. “Due to shortage of boats we have not been able to reach these areas yet,” he said.
The Army, meanwhile, has resumed searches for two soldiers, who went missing after their boat capsized during a rescue and relief operation in flood-affected Pulwama district of Kashmir.
Control rooms are being set up at Srinagar, Jammu and New Delhi to actively monitor and coordinate the rescue and relief operations in the State.
A team of officials headed by Joint Secretary (Disaster Management) of the Home Ministry has been instructed to monitor from Srinagar rescue and relief operations in the State.
Official sources said, “more areas are likely to be affected by the floods in Srinagar as the water-level in rivers, including Jhelum and its tributaries, is still increasing.”
Many house boats in Dal Lake were completely destroyed after flash floods, triggered by a breach in the embankment of Jhelum at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar, increased the water level of the lake drastically.
They said many petrol pumps were hit by floods causing the petrol and diesel to leak into Dal Lake. Meanwhile, people living around Dal Lake were asked to leave their houses and move to safer places as the water-level is still increasing.
Many areas in Srinagar city, including Shivpora, Indira Nagar, Kursoo Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Gogjibagh, Hari Singh High Street, Batmaloo and other Civil Lines areas were flooded late on Saturday night, the sources added. Despite claims by the State Government that relief and rescue work is going at a steady pace, the situation on the ground is totally different.
People at many places in Srinagar city are alleging that no relief or rescue operation was conducted in their respective areas. “The help lines, which were provided by the Government, are giving numbers of other departments, which are directing us to numbers which doesn’t exist,” Ravinder Pal Singh, who has lost contact with his family, said over the phone.
Meanwhile, majority of the areas in uptown Srinagar, including Majhoor Nagar, Padshahi Bagh, Pamposh Colony, Nowgam and Chanapoora were flooded after Jhelum river breached embankment at Kandi Zal in south Kashmir district of Pulwama. Thousands of people in more than 700 villages have abandoned their homes and livestock and shifted to higher reaches to escape the fury of rising waters.
Official sources said people have been lodged in school buildings, mosques and even at several railway stations in Srinagar and south Kashmir districts of Pulwama and Anantnag. Despite threat to life, people in many flood affected areas are reluctant to leave their houses following apprehensions about security of their property, making the task of the rescue teams difficult.
They said the State Government has setup community kitchens at several places for displaced people while some NGOs have established camps near flood affected areas and started providing relief materials like blankets and clothes to them. Thousands of people have been trapped in many villages in central, north and south Kashmir districts after bridges and roads connecting these areas with the rest of the Valley were swept away by flash floods triggered by incessant rain during the past five days.
Meanwhile, mobile phone and landline connectivity of major parts of Kashmir including Srinagar was disrupted after many towers and cables were damaged by floods which has caused havoc in the entire State.
Sources here today said towers of mobile service providers, including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), were damaged by floods at many places in Kashmir valley, including Srinagar city, making it difficult for the people to call for help and communicate with their family members, who are trapped in flood affected areas.
Landline phone of BSNL in major parts of the valley were also out of order due to damage caused to cables at many places due to flood.
“I have been trying to get in touch with my family, which is trapped in a school in Natipora, however, the mobile phones are not working. I am worried as it has been more than 15 hours since I spoke to them,” Javad Ahmad said.
“I tried to seek help from the numbers Government has given, however, they asked me to contact the local police station, which is under 5 to 6 feet of flood water,” he alleged.
Army today resumed searches for two soldiers, who went missing after their boat capsized during a rescue and relief operation in flood-affected Pulwama district of Kashmir.
“The search operation was resumed this morning for the two missing jawans but so far we have not been able to trace them,” an Army spokesman said.
Nine Army personnel, including an officer, were trapped in strong water current at Kakapora in Pulwama district yesterday when their boat capsized during a rescue operation.
While seven personnel were rescued late in the afternoon yesterday, two personnel went missing.
The spokesman said initially the searches this morning were focused around the area where the boat capsized.
“Now we have widened the area of search. The personnel have life jackets on and we hope that these would have kept them alive,” he added. (Agencies)
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