Srinagar residents spend night(mare) on Jhelum bank

Srinagar: Friday night was more than a nightmare for the hundreds of families living on the Jhelum banks, with the rainfall bringing back the memories of the devastating 2014 floods.
The incessant rainfall since Friday increased the level of water in the Jhelum.
The authorities’ call for caution triggered a sense of fear among the people in the low-lying areas, particularly in Srinagar, where the floods in 2014 had created havoc.
Scores of the families living along the river couldn’t sleep for the night, and kept monitoring the rising water levels.
At Rajbagh, the area inundated for more than three weeks during 2014, many families spent the night on the river embankment.
“We couldn’t sleep after flood threat was declared by the government. We kept watching gushing Jhelum helplessly and prayed that the water level to recede,” said Mushtaq Ahmad a resident of Kursoo Rajbagh.
The night was no different for the residents of Abi Guzar, where panicky dominated after the flood threat warning given by the Irrigation and flood control department.
“Although the level of water was normal during the day, it went suddenly above the danger level during the night. Most of the locals who live in houseboat panicked as they sounded danger in the dead of the night,” a Sameer Ahmad, who along with a group of locals was watching the water level of Jhelum level at Abi Guzar embankment, said.
He said the locals anchored their houseboats firmly to the embankment while many shifted to the nearby houses.
“Last year a houseboat completely submerged in river Jhelum. So people are scared and leave their houseboats in case of danger,” Ahmad said.
At Bemina, the residents have already shifted their groceries to the upper stories as the areas being witnessing intense waterlogging.
“The area is submerged and some of the families left to safer areas last night. Today morning, police came and evacuated families who were trapped inside their houses,” Sajad Ahmad a local said.
Meanwhile, scores of the youth throughout the night visited to various locations in Srinagar to assess the level of water in River Jhelum.
Many among them went live on social networking sites Facebook to update people about the situation in various areas.
The water level of Jhelum in Srinagar touched danger mark at Sanagam and Ram Munshi Bagh, where water flowed above 21 feet and 20 feet, respectively.
The divisional administration has asked people living in low-lying areas to remain alert in view of flooding following incessant rains in the state.