KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
KL file Image: Bilal Bahadur
Heavy rains after cloudbursts triggered a major crisis in South Kashmir’s Tral belt on Sunday.
A local resident of the area said that heavy rains started ahead of Fajr Namaz early this dawn resulting in heavy floods in many villages. He said at least 6 villages including Satoora, Narastan, Naristan, Danjdar, Hajan are affected due to heavy flash floods.
“Hundreds of people have assembled in Satoora village and rescue operations have started,” the local said, “we are unable to know the quantum of the damages done as rain waters are flowing fast and it is impossible to reach certain areas.”
The 2014 like situation, reports said was apparently the result of a massive cloudburst over the peaks that surged the levels of discharge in Tcheder Nulla. “It was flowing ferociously with pines and massive boulders and the discharge continued with frightening levels between 7 am and 10 am,” another resident who had left Tral for Srinagar at 4 am said. “It has run havoc with the embankments and at various places, the water has gone into various homes.”
Deputy Commissioner Pulwama said there are no deaths. “Road has been washed away at various places and we have sent a JCB to repair the road,” Munir-ul-Islam, DC Pulwama, said. “Currently we are working around Dharam Gund where some homes are impacted besides the road.”
Locals said some of the fear-stricken residents living in impacted villages have started moving to safer places. “Most of Satoora is in mosques right now as wee are seeing the waters coming down with roofs of houses,” one panicked resident said. He said the government must send civil administration to the area to see what has happened on the other side of Satoora. Waient Nad is the spot where the cloudburst was reported, according to locals. They said the peak is home to scores of herdsmen about whom nothing much is known.
The fast flowing stream is passing through around a dozen villages and jumps into another major stream near Chandrigam.
Munir said the real assessment of the losses will be possible only after a proper survey is carried out. “We are looking at immediate emergencies right now like restoration of roads,” he said.
