Streams in spate after heavy rain

Ishfaq Tantry and Amin Masoodi

Tribune news Service

Srinagar/Kupwara, April 20

Incessant overnight rain across the Valley caused overflowing of several streams and nullahs in north Kashmir today, with the overflowing water inundating the Srinagar-Baramulla highway near Pattan and disrupting traffic movement for several hours.

The heavy rain and hailstorms at isolated places in Baramulla and Kupwara districts damaged several interior roads connecting hamlets and caused considerable damage to fruit trees, which were currently in the flowering stage.

With heavy downpour across the region since last evening, particularly in north Kashmir, many streams and nullahs overflowed this morning. Those included the Ningli nullah in the Sangrama belt of Baramulla and the Ferozpora nullah in the Pattan area crossing the Srinagar-Baramulla highway at Hanjiwera.

The overflowing water from nullahs and streams inundated several areas and hamlets, including Choora, Tarzooa, Haigam, Hanjiwera and villages in Baramulla district, besides submerging the Srinagar-Baramulla highway near Pattan.

This disrupted vehicular moment on the road before it was restored in the evening. “The Ningli and Ferozpora nullahs caused inundation in a large area. The administration is plugging breaches and assessing damage,” said Baramulla Deputy Commissioner Peerzada Mushtaq, who toured affected areas.

Officials said besides causing inundation in orchards, hailstorms at isolated places in north Kashmir, particularly the Ushkara belt of Baramulla, caused considerable damage to apple trees, which were in the flowering stage at present.

Many low-lying areas in Kupwara district were submerged due to waterlogging and overflowing streams, causing inconvenience to local residents. The Srinagar-Pulwama road via Newa was blocked for traffic movement following the washing away of a diversion due to incessant rain.

The road connecting Bramari with Jagarpora vllage and a few other villages in Kupwara district was submerged. A stretch of the main road from Nunwani to Gunddachi in the Kalaroose block of Kupwara district was washed away.

Snowfall hits life in Kargil

Life was disrupted in Kargil district due to heavy snowfall on Monday, which damaged crops like apricot and uprooted electricity poles. Most areas around Kargil were without electricity since Sunday evening. Rangdum recorded two feet of snow and Menamarg, Drass and Zanskar 1.2 feet till Monday. The snowfall hampered snow clearance on the Kargil-Zanskar road. Inclement weather led to the cancellation of the Jammu-Leh flight. Due to the cancellation of the Air Force courier service, scores of passengers were stranded in Jammu and Srinagar.

The district administration has issued an alert to the people living and moving along the avalanche-prone areas. The Chief Education Officer, Kargil, has ordered all schools in the district to remain closed tomorrow in view of heavy rain and snow.

Avalanche warning in Kargil 
Srinagar: The Kashmir Divisional Commissioner on Monday issued a medium danger avalanche warning for Kargil. “A communication from the Kashmir Divisional Commissioner says there is a medium danger warning in avalanche-prone areas of Kargil district for the next 24 hours,” said an official spokesman. The Kargil Deputy Commissioner advised people not to venture out in avalanche-prone areas. “People of these areas are advised to temporarily evacuate those locations which are under the fall line of avalanches,” said the spokesman. — TNS