SRINAGAR: Water levels in the River Jhelum showed a gradual decline through Srinagar on Friday afternoon, offering some relief after days of heavy rainfall, although the river continued to flow above the flood declaration mark at the city’s Ram Munshi Bagh gauge station.
According to the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department’s 12 noon gauge readings, the water level at Ram Munshi Bagh stood at 18.99 feet, down from the morning reading of 19.07 feet. While the level remains above the flood declaration mark of 18 feet, it is still well below the danger mark of 21 feet, and the department classified the trend as decreasing.
The decline was also reflected upstream. At Sangam, the Jhelum was recorded at 18.90 feet and, despite the latest bulletin describing it as increasing, the level was marginally higher than the morning reading and remained below the flood declaration mark of 21 feet. At Pampore, the river fell further to 5.09 metres, continuing its receding trend after registering 5.13 metres earlier in the day.
Downstream, however, the picture remained mixed. Water levels continued to rise at Asham, where the gauge touched 12.48 feet, still below the flood declaration mark of 14 feet, while Wular Lake also recorded a slight increase to 1,575.94 metres, remaining below its flood threshold of 1,578 metres.
Among the tributaries, Vishow Nallah at Khudwani continued to rise and was measured at 6.90 metres, while Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi was also increasing but remained well below its flood declaration level. Lidder Nallah at Batkoot and Sindh Nallah at Doderhama were on a declining trend, while Doodhganga at Barzulla remained stable.
The falling water level at Ram Munshi Bagh, the key gauge station for Srinagar, is being closely watched as it indicates that floodwaters are gradually receding through the city. However, officials continued to advise residents living along riverbanks and vulnerable low-lying areas to remain vigilant until the river falls below the flood declaration mark.
The improvement comes even as fresh rainfall remains in the forecast. Independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif Keng has predicted light to moderate rain across much of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, with South Kashmir expected to receive the heaviest precipitation in the Valley. He has cautioned that isolated intense showers could still trigger flash floods in vulnerable areas before weather conditions begin to improve later in the day.
