Srinagar, Sept 5: As flash floods continue to wreak havoc across the Kashmir Valley, rising water levels have now inundated residential areas on the outskirts of Srinagar, particularly in Taigan. The flooding is reported to have been triggered by a breach in the Jhelum River near Sangam, causing the water to overflow into low-lying areas.
Residents of Taigan expressed anger and helplessness, stating that no official warnings were issued in advance. “No one informed us, and there was no warning about flash floods. We had to rescue ourselves. Some people are still trapped, but no one from the Omar Abdullah-led administration has come to check on us,” said one resident.
Yaseen Khan, a young man in his thirties and his neighbours of Tengan village, huddled inside the temporary tent on the divider space of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, waiting for relief after the villagers fled from their homes on Wednesday night after floodwaters submerged them.
Tengan, Shalin, Zinpora and several adjoining villages in the Srinagar outskirts were inundated after muddy floodwaters of the river Jhelum breached the embankment late at night, leaving thousands of residents stranded.
Though the breach saved the Srinagar city’s posh areas of Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh, Shivpora and Lalchowk from the deluge, it forced thousands of villagers in Budgam to run for safety on the high-level Srinagar-Jammu national highway that divides the Tengan village and thousands of kanals of paddy land of the area into two parts.
Residents said evacuations stretched from midnight until morning, with the majority of the families moving out on their own before water levels rose further. Livestock and cattle were also shifted to the highway and the railway track.
The affected people criticised the “late and inadequate” response from authorities. “We didn’t get any help from the administration. No relief, no water, no food has been provided to us by the government yet,” Wani said, while his neighbours nodded their heads. They said the administration has kept the relief shelters 20 km away from their localities, and they can’t go there leaving their homes unguarded. The flood-affected people have now made the national highway and the railway line their shelters, feeding their cattle and waiting for relief from the government.
“Rescue efforts were late. People were trapped with no shelter, no washrooms, nothing. The government keeps making claims about evacuation measures, but on the ground, there is nothing,” said Reyaz Ahmad Dar, one of the affected residents.
The floodwaters have submerged the ground floors of many houses in the area, leaving families distressed and worried. Locals fear further damage if the water flow continues to rise in the coming hours.
“Our only hope is with the Central Government,” said another resident. “Our homes are badly damaged, and we need urgent help to rebuild.”
With the water level continuing to rise, panic has gripped several neighbourhoods. Locals have appealed for immediate rescue and relief operations, as well as deployment of boats and emergency supplies.
Authorities have urged people in vulnerable areas to stay alert and shift to safer locations if possible, as heavy rainfall is expected to continue.
Also read: Red Alert Issued For Jammu & Kashmir Amidst Intensifying Weather Conditions
