No flood threat in Valley as major rainfall activity recorded in North Kashmir: I&FC

Weather likely to improve from afternoon: MeT

SRINAGAR: The incessant rainfall for the last 36 hours has thrown life out of gear in the Valley even as the officials of Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department said that there was no threat of floods in the Valley as the major rainfall activity was recorded in north Kashmir.
A top official of Irrigation and Flood Control department said that there is no flood threat, as most of the rainfall activity has been from north Kashmir and the gauge level in all water bodies is below normal.
“Tributaries in north Kashmir are filled with rainfall water, but there is no situation of floods in the valley,” he said.
Meanwhile, an official said that as the plains in the Valley received rainfall, the higher reaches of North Kashmir including Kupwara and Gulmarg received fresh snowfall of about 2ft and 1.5 ft respectively.
Deputy Director Meteorological department said that the weather system is expecting the improvement in the weather from this afternoon, however, the weather will remain cloudy and erratic till 16 March. “There is no major weather activity as per the system.”
He said that higher reaches of district Kupwara in Tangdar and Keran have received fresh snowfall of around 2 to 2.5 ft while tourist destinations of Gulmarg and Sonamarg have received 1.5 ft and 2 ft snow.
As per the officials of MeT, Srinagar received 27.2 mm of fresh rainfall during the last 24 hours and recorded a temperature as low as 2.2°C.
Earlier in the morning MeT in a communique had said, “Widespread moderate to isolated heavy rain/snow in Kashmir, scattered light rain in plains of Jammu. Widespread moderate to heavy shower in Poonch Rajouri. Current weather likely to persist during day time. Expect gradual improvement from evening.
Thunderstorm with rain most likely at some places of South Kashmir, hilly areas of Jammu region.” MeT had also issued an alert for landslides and avalanche in vulnerable spots as land was fully saturated.