Three people were killed in rain havoc in Jammu, while a flood scare gripped the Kashmir Valley following rising waters in the Jhelum on Saturday. Fresh downpours paused the Amarnath Yatra as portions of the tracks on the twin routes got washed away.
“One woman lost her life after a tree fell on her and two others were killed in flash floods in Jammu province,” B.B. Vyas, Adviser to Governor N.N. Vohra, said here.
The authorities suspended the Amarnath Yatra from both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes “due to landslips on the stretches”. “The pilgrimage will resume after the tracks are cleared and the weather improves,” Mr. Vyas said.
Mr. Vohra held a high-level meeting in the Raj Bhavan on Saturday morning to review the situation arising from increasing water levels of Jhelum and Tawi rivers and other major streams in Jammu and Kashmir during the past three days.
Authorities sounded a flood alert in the Valley as the Jhelum began flowing above the danger mark. Several areas in Srinagar, Anantnag and Budgam saw flood waters entering residential areas and submerging roads.
Mr. Vyas said the administration was “fully geared to tackle the situation in view of the looming flood-threat in Kashmir”. “There is no need to panic but people should take precautions,” he said.
The flow in the Jhelum river has gone up to 50,000 cusecs against the carrying capacity of 35,000 cusecs.
The Governor directed officials to set up “a reliable communication system” to meet any eventuality. His advisers gave instructions for timely alerts to people living in vulnerable areas. Several control rooms, with relief and rescue material including boats, have been readied as the meteorological department predicted more rains.
“Critical equipment in hospitals and other important installations have been asked to be moved to safe places,” said an advisory.
Seven teams of the State Disaster Response Force and two teams of the National Disaster Response Force are in place for rescue and relief operations.
A total of 44 shelter sheds and relief teams have been set up in Srinagar. “The challenge we face now is heavy water logging in urban areas,” Mr. Vyas said.
Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said the flood alert was aimed at helping people take precautions.
People said flood waters breached the embankments of the Jhelum at various places. Sandbags were used to plug holes at many spots. Kashmir witnessed devastating floods in 2014, which left large parts of Srinagar and south Kashmir marooned for many weeks.
