SRINAGAR: Even though improvement in weather conditions is predicted by the weatherman, Kashmir is literally in a sort of flood-like situation. The low-lying areas are already waterlogged and in the Srinagar periphery, some areas are inundated because of the breach on the Jhelum bank.
Srinagar MET station said they expected the rains to stop later today. However, the rains that have lashed Kashmir in the last few days are gradually swelling the Jhelum river and its tributaries.
“The habitation residing along higher contours of tributaries (Nallahs) especially Vishow and Rambiyara Nallah (South Kashmir) are requested to remain vigilant as water level have risen and are expected to rise further in response to the rainfall in the catchment,” Irrigation and Flood Control said in an advisory.
The water level at Sangam (Anantnag) has crossed the 18-foot threshold. It is the alarm bell for a flood-like situation, if not the flood.
The water level in Wullar Lake was 1575.87m against the flood deceleration mark of 1578 at 12:00 am.
River Jhelum already crossed the flood-alarm mark of 18 ft near Sangam in South Kashmir at 10 am. and two hours since then, the level has risen to 19.83, just 1.17-ft below the mark when a flood is declared.
At Munshi Bagh gauge in Srinagar, an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department was quoted saying that the water level was 13.7-ft, 2.3-ft below the alarm level of 16 ft and 4.5-ft below the flood level of 18 ft.
At Asham in Bandipora district, the official said, the Jhelum level was at 7.19-ft against the 14-ft mark when a flood is sounded in north Kashmir.
Regarding some tributaries, the official said, the water level in Vishow Nallah at Khudwani was 10.7m, three feet above the danger mark, while the nallah Lidder at Batkoot was at 1.21m (recording a decrease of a few notches in the last 2 hours), Doodhganga Nallah at Barzulla was 3.09m against the dangerous mark of 3.65m, Sindh Nallah at Doderhama was flowing 3.36 m against 3.5m (alarm) and 3.65m (when a flood is declared), Sukhnag Nallah at Arizal was flowing at 0.54m (below 5 notches than at 10 a.m) against 1.3 (flood alarm) and 1.8m(flood), Ferozpora Nallah at Drung in Tangmarg was 1.42 m (at 10 a.m.) against (1.85 (flood alarm)/2.0m (flood) while Pohru Nallah at Seelu was at 3.35m against 4.2m (flood alarm) and 4.6m (when is flood declared).
