SRINAGAR: A Kulgam village survived a mid-day cloudburst on Saturday as tens of thousands of gallons of water rushed down the mountains in the village. There is property damage but no loss of life. The cloudburst impact was felt by Tangmarg village, a dusky hamlet on the slopes between Ahrabal and Kulgam.
The water gushed downs the peaks and got into various homes in the village. It also washed away a lot of maize crops in the area. Most of the inhabitants of the village are Gujjars.
Visuals available on social media suggest massive streams moving through the village. Some officers from the district have reached the spot and are assessing the losses. The villagers acted quite fast and rescued the vulnerable homes including the students of a local school.
Residents said that the massive water impacted various neighbouring localities including Check-i-Watoo and Asnoor villages. Some apple orchards in the area were also damaged. In certain areas, the water is still running through the orchards. It was after two hours, that the water level started decreasing but a lot of silt is still blocking the lanes and in certain cases homes as well.
Residents said the cloudburst brought a lot of water and got into the Noorabad canal and got breached at many places. They said almost 60 residents are impacted. The canal brings water to Noorabad town from Ahrabal. They demanded that the authorities must ensure better embankments on the canal. They alleged that they have been asking authorities to give the canal some priority but they have failed in making the government work.
