Fresh spell of rains causes panic; water level recedes

15 dead in Budgam landslide, boy still buried

Fayaz Bukhari/
Gopal Sharma

Srinagar/Jammu, Mar 31: The holding up of weather for past 40 hours has reduced the flood threat in Kashmir valley but there is no let up in the panic as weatherman has forecast fresh spell of rains for three days. And rescuers in Budgam village retrieved 15 bodies from a house that was buried under landslide yesterday.
The water level of Jhelum in Srinagar has reduced from 19.70 feet to 16.70 feet in last 32 hours which is below flood level. According to Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the water level of Jhelum was 16.7 feet at Ram Munshibagh at 10 p.m. and 13.5 feet at Sangam.
The reduction in water level has brought respite to people but the rains that have started again tonight have again caused panic. Residents of Kandizal in Pulwama where Jhelum bund is cut in case of increased water level in the river are much worried. They are manning the bund round the clock to prevent its breach or cutting and the last time when it was cut to prevent flooding in Srinagar was way back in 1997.
Hilal Ahmad, a resident of Kandizal said that the villagers are first victims if the bund is cut to divert the water from river Jhelum to save Srinagar city from flooding. He said that yesterday when water level was rising police, Army and district administration planted mines to blast off the bund but the villagers resisted.
But the Government has taken a decision if the water level rises again due to three day spell of rains starting from tonight the bund will be cut. These people are much worried as are the people who are living on the left side of the river Jhelum.
Director Meteorological Department Srinagar, Sonam Lotus, told Excelsior that wet weather will prevail over the State for next three days. He said that there will  be moderate to heavy rains during this period.
The panic caused by the fresh rains has led to deserted market places in Lal Chowk, Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh, Hari Singh High Street, Goni Khan and other places as the shopkeepers have shifted their goods to safer locations three days back when the flood alert was declared two days back.
Irfan Ahmad who sells readymade garments in M A Road said:”We will shift the goods to our shops after the fresh rain spell is over. Memories of last year’s floods are fresh in our minds and we don’t want to take any chance.”
Majority of the people who were caught in floods last year have shifted to safer locations along with the belongings. “We will not return till the fresh spell of rains is over”, said Mohammad Abbas of Rajbagh who lives with his relatives in old city.
There are still water logging problems at few places in Srinagar and other areas. The National Highway at Pampore is still water logged despite no rains for last 44 hours. As a large portion of the highway in Pampore is under water people have to use arduous alternate routes.
Schools and colleges have been closed across the Valley in view of the flood threat while ongoing examinations have been postponed by BOSE.
However, University of Kashmir will hold examinations as per schedule from tomorrow in view of the improving flood situation, an official of the varsity said.
In the meantime, rescue operation continued at Laden village in the Central Kashmir district of Budgam, and rescuers have found 15 bodies from house that was buried under mudslide. For whole day they were searching for the body of 10-year-old Faisal who is buried under the house in which he was sleeping with his family members Sunday night.
Rescuers had narrow escape today when they were digging the earth to retrieve the body of the boy and a landslide again hit the place. However, they continued searches and have decided against using the earth movers and will go for manual search.
The 15 recovered bodies were buried this afternoon and a large number of people participated in their funeral. Those laid to rest are eight siblings including five sisters Naseema (18) and Shugufta (15), Bisma (9), Shahida (16), Fareeda (14) and three brothers Bilal Ahmad (13), Mohammad Iqbal (12) and Reyaz Ahmad (22) and their parents Ghulam Nabi Hajam, Zaina Begum. Others include Mohammad Shaban, his wife Ruksana (21), their son Mohammad Aslam (24 days) and two sisters of Mohammad Shaban, Shehmeeza (9) and Naseema (18) (daughters of Laldin Hajam).
Lala Hajam’s family had shifted to their neighbours house as they feared that their house will collapse due to sinking of land but they ran out of luck as death followed them. He and his four family members were among the 16 persons who were buried alive.
The authorities have warned landslides in hills of Kashmir due to incessant rains and have asked people to shift to safer places in the slide prone areas. The Deputy Commissioner Shopian has advised the people living in the areas of Kellar, Zampatheri, Phalipora, Dunaroo, Bataphogen, Mujpatheri, Kreachipathri, Heerpora Duchana, Ringward, Devpora, Kathuhallan, Shahlatoo and all the upper reaches of district Shopian to take precautionary measures to avoid any mishap and loss of human lives. They have been asked to move to the nearest stable and safe structures in case there is any apprehension of landslides, land slips and land erosion.
And the Police and civil administration today continued to evacuate people from landslide and flood prone areas. Policeman across the valley are being deployed to assist the administration in strengthening the bunds wherever it is observed to be weak and digging drains to siphon out water from water logged areas.
Police in Shopian today evacuated 46 persons including children and ladies from landslide prone area of Ringward, Kellar. Police cleared the clogged streams to prevent triggering of landslides in the area. Police and civil administration is closely monitoring the situation in the area.
Six houses in Kondbal, Safapora developed cracks, Ganderbal police and the local administration evacuated 39 inmates to a safe location in a nearby Middle school. Ganderbal police also assisted the locals after a gate on a channel leaked water in the adjoining area. The gate was restored and the leak was sealed.
In South Kashmir, NDRF contingent consisting 46 persons reached South Kashmir Flood Control Room in Anantnag, today. Police and District administration that oversees the flood operations divided the NDRF contingent along with the SDRF teams into three teams and were deployed at three different flood prone areas.
The first team was dispatched to Bijbehara under the command of SDPO Bijbehara that will manage and operate the flood situations in Shamsipora, Arwani, Tulkhun and adjacent areas. Second team under the command of SHO Police Station Anantnag will assess and operate in flood prone areas of village Dantar, Mir Dantar, Pushwari, T B Shah Muniward and the third team under the command of DSP Anantnag was deputed in Seepan area and will mange villages Anzwala, Mirgund, Chee, Arder, Matipora and Aung.
Seven families consisting 40 persons were evacuated and shifted to Middle School Arhal after a landslide hit Arhal Gandpora in Kokernag area. Two residential houses were damaged during the night at Sunbari Kokernag due to landslide. Police and civil administration is keeping a close watch in the area
At Kakpora, Pulwama near Naman road drain was dug by police to drain out water from an inundated locality.
In North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Baramulla in co-ordination with civil administration has evacuated 101 families consisting 461 people across the district from landslide prone areas and were shifted to various safer places during past three days.
Seven families consisting 28 people were evacuated from Khan Mohalla Chandoosa and were shifted to Panchayat Ghar Chandoosa. One family consisting 8 people were evacuated from Rajpora Chandoosa and were shifted to the house of relatives at Rajpora Chandoosa. Four families consisting of 32 people were evacuated from Lateefabad Chandoosa and were shifted to the house of relatives at Lateefabad Chandoosa. Fifty families consisting 150 people were evacuated from Baila Salamabad Chandoosa and were shifted to temporary huts located at dumping area. 10 families consisting of 55 souls were evacuated from Limber Boniyar and were shifted to the house of relatives at Limber Boniyar.
In Tangmarg area four families consisting 25 people were evacuated from Treran Tangmarg and were shifted to Panchayat Ghar Treran. Six employees of stone crushers were evacuated in Shrai Mohalla Tangmarg and were shifted to safer places. Both the places were inundated due to flash floods.
In Pattan area, eight families consisting 56 people were evacuated from Matipora Pattan and were shifted to the house of relatives at Matipora Pattan. Nine families consisting 60 people were evacuated from Tantraypora Pattan and were shifted to the house of relatives at Tantraypora Pattan. Eight families consisting 41 people were evacuated from Mahrajpora Pattan and were shifted to the house of relatives at Mahrajpora Pattan.
Police in Bandiproa assisted the locals to restore a bund at Bangitaar, Hajin to prevent breech in river Jehlum and deployed its men to keep a close vigil in the bunds during the night.
The incessant rains and melting of snow coupled with rise in temperatures has increased the chances of landslides and erosion of land masses in all areas which are sleepy and hilly in nature and the weather outlook for April 01 to April 03, 2015 may further aggravate the situation.
Meanwhile with little improvement in the weather , the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was cleared by the BRO authorities today while reports of 16 houses collapse have been received from Mahore area of Reasi and killing of 12 goats from Rajouri.
Reports said that the fresh land slides at Kheri near Udhampur, Gangroo, Magarkote, Higni Digdol, Sherbibi, Panthal and Shaitani Nallah in Ramban district were cleared by the BRO and National Highway authorities early today and most of the   Kashmir and Doda-Kishtwar bound vehicles were cleared. The Batote- Kishtwar road was also blocked at several points for the last three days and now traffic has been restored.
IG Traffic, J P Singh told the Excelsior  that all the stranded passengers at Jammu were cleared as 1200 passenger vehicles  and 1900 trucks, tankers and other load carriers were allowed to move towards Kashmir today. He said during the day, the weather remained better but now in the evening, the rain has again started in the hilly areas. But till this evening, the highway was clear.
Mr Singh said about 140 vehicles of  tourists had been stranded for the last two days on that side of Jawahar Tunnel  and these people were also allowed to move towards Jammu this evening.  The decision about the down or the up convoy on April 1st, will be taken up tomorrow morning after reviewing the over all situation. The road from Batote to Doda and Kishtwar has also been cleared and the traffic restored today, the IGP said.
Meanwhile, a Met spokesman  predicted rain and thunder storm in most of the areas of the region in next 24 hours. He said that the weather would improve after three days.
At Banihal, two shops and a house were damaged due to fresh land slides at Khan Mohalla at the same location where seven shops were damaged yesterday. The power supply to many areas of Ramban and Banihal has been snapped and Ramban-Gool road continued to be blocked for the last three days.
The body of truck driver who was washed away in flooded Nallah in Pancheri area of Udhampur could not be traced till today. The police and family members were searching for the body at the downstream.
Reports from Reasi said that about 16 houses have been collapsed in Mahore area while three families of Gulabo, Ghulam Qadir and Abdul Rashid  were shifted to a nearby Govt School as their houses came in the grip of sliding zone at Tuksan village. The victims were also provided assistance by the local administration. Mahore-Chasana and Mahore-Gulabgarh roads were also still blocked while Reasi-Mahore link was cleared today.
Reports from Poonch and Rajouri said that about half a dozen houses were partially collapsed  today while 12 goats of a nomad were killed at Gai Panjal near remote Badoon area last night. These goats came under land slides while a villager was also injured. Identified as Liaqat ali, son of Abdul Aziz, he had been referred to GMC Hospital Jammu from Rajouri hospital.
The power infrastructure in Surankote, Mandi, Mendhar, Thannamandi, Kotranka and Kalakote areas besides Mahore, Arnas, Ramban, Dudu-Basantgarh, Chenani and Doda  has been damaged due to rains and land slides. A large number of power transformers have also been damaged and department is facing difficulty in getting such large number of transformers repaired from own workshops. The rain and hailstorm has also caused damage to the crops in Jammu, Samba and Kathua belts besides parts of Udhampur and Reasi districts.

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