Heavy rain has resulted in waterlogging in many areas in Srinagar
Heavy rainfall in the Kashmir valley over the past 24 hours has created panic among some people in Srinagar about the possibility of fresh floods, police said today.
The heavy downpour has inundated many low-lying areas of Srinagar including Rajbagh, one of the worst-hit areas during the unprecedented floods in September last year.
The main road in Rajbagh is covered by more than 18 inches of water while roads in other areas of the city, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and the adjoining Regal Chowk, are also water-logged.
Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Lone said that the operation to drain out water was earlier delayed due to a technical fault in the power supply system.
"The fault in electricity supply has been removed and dewatering has been started. Besides the regular dewatering stations, we are pressing into service fire tenders to dewater the city roads," Mr Lone said.
The rainfall has also forced the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to landslides at some places, an official of the Traffic Department said. He said the road was closed yesterday for repairs but a fresh spell of rain resulted in the arterial road remaining closed for the second consecutive day.
In Central Kashmir's Budgam district, eight houses were destroyed and 26 others were partially damaged last evening due to a landslide caused by the rain.
The valley has been witnessing heavy rainfall since Saturday, leading to a sudden surge in water level in rivers, streams and rivulets.
The Met Department has predicted more rain over the next six days with heavy rain expected today and on April 3.
However, officials of the Flood Control department said there was no cause for concern as the water level in River Jhelum was way below the danger mark.