Frequent rain, snowmelt up flood threat in Valley

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 26

The Valley is facing an imminent flood threat as the snow on mountains is melting fast due to the rising temperature and the water bodies are flowing at higher than normal level for the past few weeks.

The Jhelum has been flowing near the danger mark, ranging from 13 to 19 feet in Srinagar, since the first week of April.

Following the devastating floods of 2014, even moderate rain leads to a flood-like situation in the Valley as the government has failed to clean the Jhelum of silt. The rain triggers panic among locals as the water level in the river rises.

“Rain is no longer a blessing for us. It scares us. We shift our belongings to the upper storey of the house even when there is a slight drizzle,” said Mushtaq Dar, a resident of Raj Bagh, located on the banks of the Jhelum.

Dar along with his neighbours have been getting sleepless nights due to frequent rain in April. “The government has failed to do anything for flood management. We feel flood is a shower away,” he said.

The Jhelum at Ram Munshibagh in Srinagar, where the danger mark is 19 feet, was flowing at 11.59 feet this morning after the weather improved from April 22.

Incessant rain has also increased the water level in the Dal Lake to the danger mark of 12.5 feet. “If it rains for 36-48 hours this month, there is a definite threat of flood because snow is melting fast and there has been frequent rain,” said Director, meteorological department, Sonam Lotus. Lotus, however, said the weather would be fine for the next five days.

He said the average precipitation in the first four months of 2017 had been above normal, with 164 mm of rain received in April.

Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control, Hanif Lone said: “Frequent rain and melting of snow are increasing the water level in our water bodies. But, there is no threat of flood as of now,” Lone said.