Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday issued a flood alert across several districts after continuous rainfall pushed the Jhelum river and its tributaries above the danger mark.
Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg said water levels were being closely tracked at Sangam, Anantnag, and Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar. “Adverse weather conditions are prevailing… the situation is being closely monitored. Irrigation and flood control teams are continuously monitoring from South Kashmir to North Kashmir,” Garg told ANI.
As a precaution, schools, colleges, and universities were shut and examinations cancelled. District commissioners in South and Central Kashmir have been deployed on the ground, Garg added.
Residents in Srinagar reported rising water levels and precautionary measures being taken. “It rained continuously, and the Jhelum is swelling. There is panic, but we hope things improve,” said Imtiyaz Ahmed, a local.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who assured full support from the central government. “There is some relief today as rain has almost stopped and water is receding in low-lying areas,” Abdullah said, adding that damage to infrastructure would be assessed.
The India Meteorological Department reported record rainfall in Jammu and Udhampur over the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Jammu received 296 mm of rain, surpassing the previous record of 272.6 mm in 1973, while Udhampur recorded 629.4 mm, nearly doubling its 2019 high of 342 mm.
-ANI