Jhelum’s water level drops at Sangam, remains above flood levels in key Srinagar areas,MeT predicts more rain
Srinagar: Flooding in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday panicked people in the the outskirts of Srinagar, particularly in the Taigan and Shalina localities, as water from the Jhelum River inundated residential areas. In response, authorities initiated a large-scale rescue operation, successfully evacuating nearly 9,500 individuals from various parts of the valley.
As already reported that deavy rainfall on Wednesday had caused water levels in rivers and streams across Jammu and Kashmir to rise, creating a flood-like situation. However, with improving weather conditions, the water levels began to recede, notably at the Sangam station of the Jhelum, which fell below the danger mark after 28 hours. Despite some water levels still exceeding danger thresholds, particularly at Ram Munshi Bagh and Pampore, the flood threat remains, especially in Srinagar’s outskirts.
The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Anshul Garg, confirmed that evacuations were conducted as a precaution following a breach in the Jhelum embankment. The Srinagar Police also reported the successful evacuation of around 200 families from affected areas, with coordinated efforts involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and River Police. In addition to flooding, landslides disrupted infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir, damaging projects and transport links.
A significant landslide in Kishtwar trapped five individuals at a power project site, who were subsequently rescued and treated. Connectivity issues arose, particularly affecting the Jammu–Katra shuttle train service, which was suspended due to flood damage and landslides. Furthermore, around 30 kilometers of border fencing in Jammu division were compromised by floodwaters.
In Udhampur district, a landslide on National Highway-44 disrupted the main road link between Jammu and Srinagar, prompting the National Highways Authority of India to mobilize teams for restoration efforts. Meanwhile, police and local administration successfully rescued approximately 50 stranded tourists near Nashri on the Jammu–Srinagar highway, ensuring their safety. Weather conditions have improved, with forecasts indicating dry weather until September 7, although some rain and thunderstorms are expected in the following days. The Director of the Meteorological Department, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, noted that moderate rain is anticipated in certain districts of Jammu division on September 8 and 9, with further rain activity expected from September 10 to 12.
