Flood threat averted, thousands evacuated

Srinagar, Sep 4: Eleven years after Kashmir’s worst flood disaster, the Valley once again stood on edge this week as the Jhelum and its tributaries roared past danger marks, breaching embankments at several places and forcing thousands to flee low-lying neighbourhoods.

Authorities said around 1500 families with nearly 9000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas of Srinagar and Budgam after midnight on Wednesday.

“In response to the ongoing flood-like situation and heavy waterlogging in various parts of the city, Srinagar Police, in close coordination with SDRF and River Police, has activated a comprehensive evacuation and relocation plan to safeguard the lives and well-being of affected citizens,” a Police spokesman said.

He said nearly 200 families were rescued from severely impacted areas, including 24 families and houseboat dwellers from Peerzo Island and Basant Bagh.

Another 39 families were evacuated from Bonyarbal, Safakadal, Noorbagh, and other low-lying areas, while dozens were shifted from Habba Kadal, Karan Nagar, Kursoo, Aramwari, and Hazratbal.

“In addition to evacuation efforts, police have proactively identified and plugged potential breaches in embankments, preventing further escalation of the flood-like situation,” the spokesman said.

At the height of the flood scare, the Jhelum at Ram Munshi Bagh touched 22.31 feet, more than four feet above the flood declaration level and 1.3 feet above the danger mark.

Officials said the level was the highest since September 2014, when the river had surged past 29.5 feet and submerged half of Srinagar city for nearly a month.

That deluge claimed nearly 300 lives, swept away livestock, crippled road infrastructure and caused property damage running into trillions of rupees.

The first breach this time occurred near Sempora-Pampore, flooding Lasjan, Shalina, Tengan, Padshahi Bagh, and Mehjoor Nagar.

“Hope there are no major breaches, otherwise the low-lying areas of the city might sink, though not like the 2014 deluge,” an official in the Flood Control Department said.

Another breach in the flood spill channel near HMT diverted water into the Hokersar wetland, sparing residents nearby.

In Budgam, the Doodhganga stream breached but did not submerge surrounding areas.

A breach at Tailbal Nallah submerged the entire village.

Late-night deliberations between the Pulwama and Srinagar administrations led to the decision not to open the floodgates at Kandizal.

“As a result, several villages in Pulwama as well as the city outskirts didn’t submerge, despite a few natural breaches reported near Kandizal,” an official said.

Dal Lake dwellers also faced uncertainty.

“The Dal Lake, however, flowed smoothly as the flood gate near the National Conference office was not opened. While some of the Dal dwellers, including houseboat owners and vegetable sellers, shifted to safer locations, others stayed back,” said a houseboat owner.

In Kulgam, the Vaishaw Nallah, which had surpassed danger levels and even broken its 2014 record, began receding by Wednesday night.

“After turning violent till Wednesday evening, it has started behaving well as the night approached and is now running normally at midnight,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) Athar Aamir Khan said. “Had it rained for a couple of hours more, we would have witnessed devastation that would have been double that of 2014.”

CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami said, “The rescue measures were up to the mark, but we need to devise a strategy and counter-measures to save Kulgam from a 2014-like deluge.” He recalled proposing in the assembly that the Vaishaw — the highest discharge tributary of Jhelum — be treated as a priority because of the destruction it triggered in September 2014.”

In Anantnag, MLA East-Shangus-Mattan Riyaz Ahmad Khan said flooding from the Aaripat stream and flash floods in its tributaries damaged key infrastructure.

“Several protection embankments were washed away as a result of which there was a breach at several places, until civil administration and local volunteers plugged it with sandbags,” Khan said.

He said water entered villages including Donipwa, Yesu, and Wangam.

“A steel bridge near Shangus was washed away, following which the civil administration created a diversion so that the villages would not be disconnected. The bridge erected 20 years ago is no longer safe,” Khan said.

He said that both Lidder and Aaripat changed course at several places, washing away roads.

“The breach in the Lidder streams also happened in Hutmurah and Ameer Nambal near Mattan, submerging the villages. A breach also happened near Palpora, Aang, and Matipora villages. The famous Akad Park remained submerged in water, as did the sports stadium at Zirpara Bijbehara,” Khan said. “There was no loss to life and livestock due to timely intervention, but the infrastructure has suffered severely.”

Residents said the flood scare revived painful memories.

“Though we had prepared ourselves and shifted belongings to upper floors, unlike 2014 when we were not prepared and floodwaters submerged our houses within no time, washing away belongings and essentials, thank God nothing of that sort happened,” said Bashir Ahmad, 70, of Kursoo Rajbagh.

His family, including a pregnant daughter, had been ferried in boats during the 2014 flood after water rose to the first floor and cracked the walls.

“We were taken to a safe destination, but the water stayed for a week, and our house was partially damaged,” Ahmad said.

“It was déjà vu, but this time luckily we escaped nature’s fury,” said Shahriyar Ahmad of Gulbahar Colony in Hyderpora.

“In 2014, Ram Munshi Bagh was overflowing and had crossed 29.5 feet,” another official said.

On Thursday, as water levels receded, relief was visible.

“No major rainfall was reported from anywhere in Kashmir, Jammu, or Ladakh today, except drizzle in some higher reaches and light snowfall on Razdan Top, Gurez, Sadhna Top, Margan Top, Sinthan Top, Peer ki Gali, and upper reaches of Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and Gulmarg,” said an official of the Meteorological Department.

“The flood threat has almost been averted. Hope there are no cloudbursts in upper reaches now so that the Jhelum, Sindh, Chenab, and its tributaries don’t roar again,” meteorologist Sonam Lotus said.

Still, residents remained cautious.

“We were caught unawares in 2014 as we didn’t think the water would reach that high, but even as the threat is lesser this time, we are prepared,” said Shafia Abass of Nowgam. “Even though the water is within the embankments of the river, there is always a threat of breach, and if that happens, it will not give us even 15 minutes to escape. That’s why we have already moved most of the belongings to the upper floor.”

At Nowgam, residents parked their cars on the highway to avoid damage.

“We were panicking. Only later did we come to know that it was a controlled breach to reduce the water levels. Everyone with a cellphone is acting as a journalist these days. The government needs to act against misinformation,” said Javid Ahmad of Zainakote, after videos falsely claimed Hokersar embankment failures.

For thousands living along the Jhelum, the swirling waters once again tested Kashmir’s resilience.

This time, timely evacuations, controlled breaches, and clear skies spared the Valley another catastrophe — but memories of September 2014 remain fresh, and residents know it would take only a few hours of rain for history to repeat itself.