Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 8: The overnight heavy rains that lashed Kashmir valley inundated roads in parts of Srinagar creating panic among locals while hundreds of families living in tents and makeshift tin sheds spent a sleepless night.
The MET Department officials said that Srinagar recorded 23.6 mm of rainfall since last evening. The rains created panic among flood victims who are living tents and makeshift shelters.
In Ikrajpora area in Jawahar Nagar, people blocked main road after the overnight rains caused water logging in the area. “We blocked the road as water entered our areas through drains. We are afraid more rains may not inundate our houses. We seek Government attention for draining the water”, said Javed Ahmad, a protestor.
In Jawahar Nagar Chowk, Rajbagh, Exhibition Crossing, Lal Chowk, Wazir Bagh areas there was water logging in the morning.
As the last months devastative floods are still haunting the residents, the heavy overnight created panic among them. Some people couldn’t sleep during the night as it was raining heavily.
“We didn’t sleep at night as it was raining heavily. It reminded us of the horrors we underwent when the floods hit our locality. We were awake,” said Manzoor Ahmad of Rajbagh who lives in a tent in Rajbagh area.
A few families whose houses were damaged in last month’s floods are living in tents near the Convent School in Rajbagh. “We were terrified as it was raining heavily during night. There are Chinar trees around us and we were apprehensive. A Chinar tree adjacent to our houses last month fell on a Masjid and damaged it,” said Manzur.
Another resident who lives in a tent on the Jhelum bank as his two storey house was damaged by last month’s floods. “We lived in a relief camp on Shankar Achariya initially and we later provided tents by police. When it rained last night we covered the tents with tarpaulin and thermocol as water was seeping in. The temperatures dropped and children were weeping as they were shivering with cold”, he said.
The residents said that Government didn’t provide them help and instead police is asking them to remove the tents from the road side which is used by the VIPs. “On the other hand Government issued an advisory asking people not to live in the houses which remained submerged for more than 10 days. Where will we go?” they asked.
The rains have led to drop in the temperatures make flood victims shiver as they have lost their bedding as warm clothes to floods. The residents are worried about the winter as over 1 lakh houses have collapsed and 1.5 lakh have been damaged and over a lakh have been declared unsafe by Government.
Mushtaq Ahmad whose house collapsed last month said that they need immediate assistance so that they can have roof over their heads before winter sets in. “We are keeping our fingers crossed as Government response to this calamity is slow”, he said.
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