Srinagar
Normal life was disrupted across Kashmir on Tuesday due to the sudden and swift rainfall. The raining broke the heat wave that was complicated by a good dose of humidity.
The rains started at different times in different places. Even in Srinagar, some parts started getting rains late Monday evening while some areas had the first drop 7 am on Tuesday.
A weatherman in Srinagar said the city received 6 mm of rainfall, Qazigund received 59 mm, Pahalgam 4.7 mm, Kokernag 3.6 mm, Gulmarg 0.4 mm, Jammu 38.8 mm, Banihal 19.4 mm, Batote 55.9 mm, Katra 51.5 mm, Bhaderwah 9.6 mm, Kathua 7.1 mm. Interestingly most of north Kashmir did not get even the first drop so far.
The official predicted that light to moderate rains with thundershowers will occur at many places in next 24 hours.
“The main activity of heavy rains in plains and higher reaches is likely to continue today,” the weatherman’s office said. “The weather will start improving from tomorrow.”
The rains triggered a sort of crisis in the capital city as water logging impacted the routine movement. Apart from low lying areas that usually witness serious problems during rains, the areas that suffered heavily including the Regal Chowk – Lal Chowk belt, and even the Boulevard where the water level was reported to be around 3 ft. The waterlogging caused a long traffic jam and immense hardships to pedestrians.
It was the induction of a number of power draining pumps that the Srinagar Municipal Corporation deployed in city’s main business center that eased part of the crisis. But the level of clogged water is so huge that it will take them almost a day. SMC officials said that most of the water pumps deployed in the city and operational to reduce the water levels from the streets and the localities.
Officials, however, ruled out the possibility of any flood like situation. The water level at many places of the main Jhelum River is abysmally low. The gauge reading of Jhelum at 9 am at Sangam was 1.33 ft, Ram Munshi Bagh 3.10, and Asham 2.58. These three spots are key to the gauge of Kashmir’s main river. Even the Jhelum’s tributaries are not reported any adverse situation. The Irrigation and Flood Control officials put the level of Vishaw Nallah at Khudwani at 2.15 m, Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi at – (minus) 0.01 m, and Lidder Nallah at Batakote 0.65 m.
Kashmir, off late, is getting low rainfall as a result of which the climatic crisis is worsening. In certain areas, the hugely reduced levels in the canals have forced farming community against sowing paddy because of near-drought conditions.
Meanwhile, a traffic movement on Srinagar Jammu highway is plying normally, while Srinagar-Banihal train services are also running normally.
