Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 1: The main city Centre of Lal Chowk and other urban Centres in Kashmir valley face threat of inundation with slight down pour as the Irrigation and Flood Control Department has failed to plug over 200 breaches and cuts on the embankments of river Jhelum and its tributaries.
According to I&FC Department it had made deep cuts at 31 places on river embankments from Pampore to Parimpora apart from 20 cuts made on Flood Spill Channel and its allied network up to North Kashmir.
Apart from these cuts, Jhelum and its tributaries including Nallah Lidder, Bringi, Sandran, Arpat, Vethvathroo, Veshow, Rambiara, Doodhganga, Shaliganga, Ferozpora, Ningli, Erin, Mudumati, Phuroo and other small streams breached at over 150 places across Kashmir valley leading to 87 deaths and over Rs one lakh crore losses to the Government and private property.
A breach 40 metre breach on Jhelum bank near Abi Guzar that caused devastation in city centre and main business hub of Kashmir valley, Lal Chowk, remains unplugged since September 7.
Says shopkeeper Muneer Ahmad of Residency Road in Lal Chowk area that it is live threat for the city centre that suffered losses to the tune of rupees several thousand crore. “One day rain could raise water level of Jhelum by several feet and can inundate the city centre again. The breach could have been temporarily plugged in the first week of flooding only but Government failed to do so and river was flowing through Lal Chowk for over a week”, he said.
Besides breaches and cuts, the embankments of Jhelum and its tributaries suffered major damages in Kashmir. The damage and weakening of the embankments is posing a major flood threat in future if the measures are not taken on war footing to repair these embankments.
“The macadamized road along river Jhelum bank at Rajbagh has developed cracks. Similarly there are cracks at other places. The embankments need repairs on massive scale, otherwise a day of heavy rains can cause havoc”, says Javed Ahmad, a retired Engineer.
However, Chief Engineer, I&FC Department, Mir Javed Jaffar, said that the department has started plugging breaches on river Jhelum. He said that various tributaries of river Jhelum especially Nallah Lidder, Bringi, Sandran, Arpat, Vethvathroo, Veshow, Rambiara, Doodhganga, Shaliganga, Ferozpora, Ningli, Erin, Mudumati and Phuroo nallahs were carrying unprecedented discharge and have changed their course at enumerable places.
The official said the department has initiated the action by way of channelizing these streams including execution of some protection works to safe guard the villages residing along the sides.
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