Srinagar, Sept 5: The major flood threat in Kashmir has eased with the Jhelum river gradually receding and weather conditions improving, bringing relief to locals after days of anxiety.
Although light showers were recorded in Srinagar and Anantnag on Friday morning, the weather remained largely dry thereafter. Officials said the Jhelum at Sangam, Pampore and Ram Munshi Bagh was flowing below the danger mark, with levels steadily declining. Flood channels across the Valley have also shown a decrease in water volume.
However, a breach in the Jhelum during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday led to fresh inundations in some localities. On Friday, areas including Bonpora Nowgam, Khanday Colony and Baba Gund Nambal in Lasjan reported waterlogging, though officials said the intensity of water was low and under control.
The latest situation marks a turnaround from earlier in the week when continuous rainfall, swollen tributaries and rising Jhelum levels had triggered fears of a repeat of the devastating 2014 floods. “Overall, the threat has subsided and the situation is stabilising,” an official told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The Meteorological Department has forecast dry weather for Saturday, further boosting the prospects of normalisation. Authorities have urged people to remain cautious but assured that monitoring of vulnerable embankments will continue. [KNT]
