Jammu and Kashmir | Flood threat subsides, Met says no rain till June end

The MeT office has predicted no rainfall till the end of this month, bringing relief among the people, especially those living on the banks of Jehlum river and other streams in which water-level rose close to danger mark on Wednesday morning.

With improvement in weather, the threat of floods subsided in Kashmir.

The flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall had reminded people of the floods of 2014 that had left most parts in Kashmir, especially Srinagar city marooned in flood water. (PTI)

The flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall had reminded people of the floods of 2014 that had left most parts in Kashmir, especially Srinagar city marooned in flood water. The MeT office has predicted no rainfall till the end of this month, bringing relief among the people, especially those living on the banks of Jehlum river and other streams in which water-level rose close to danger mark on Wednesday morning. However, as the rains stopped, the water started receding from Jehlum river and other streams, especially in south Kashmir.

“Weather improved across Jammu and Kashmir. A brief spell of light to moderate rain/thunderstorm can’t be ruled out at isolated places. No forecast of any major rainfall activity till June end,” IMD director Sonum Lotus said.

Officials of irrigation and flood control department that keeps eye on the floods also said that water has started to recede.

The water-level at Sangam came down to 16.31-ft at 5 pm on Thursday from a high of 22.09-ft at 8pm on Wednesday after flood was declared at 21-ft.

Similarly, in Srinagar’s Ram Munshi Bagh observatory, the water-level came down to 18.46-ft at 5 pm on Thursday from a high of 19.77-ft at 4 am. The level is still above the flood declaration mark of 18-ft.

“The maximum gauge of 22.09-ft was recorded at Sangam yesterday evening at 8pm. Current, reading at Sangam is 19.65-ft at 8am, the gauge has dropped by just 2.44 feet in 12 hours. Normally, the Sangam gauge should have dropped by more than 6-ft by now,” said the irrigation and flood control department in a post on Facebook.

Farooq Khan a resident of Rajbagh, said, “Post 2014 floods, just a few days of rains are sufficient to spread panic in the city. And when rains continued, people started making plans to shift their goods.”

The rains, however, have come as a good news to farmers, especially those growing apple, paddy and other crops. “Only a week ago, farmers were craving for water in paddy fields and now we have sufficient water for one month. This rain has saved us,” said Tayeeb Ahmad, a farmer from Kupwara.