Rescue operations were launched in central Kashmir’s Budgam district after heavy rains caused massive floods in Beerwah and Khaj districts, sweeping away a man and causing severe damage to markets and residential areas.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police personnel and other security forces have been deployed to carry out rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.
A civil defense guard said on Wednesday that the teams were alerted following the red alert issued for Kashmir and were on duty since Monday.
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“We have been alerted about the ‘red alert’ issued on Kashmir and have been directed to report on duty. The entire civil defense squad, including rescue, medical and transport teams, has been on duty since yesterday,” the prison warden told ANI.
He added: “Today we learned that the water level in Sakhnag Nalah was rising rapidly. Until two o’clock in the afternoon, the water level was fluctuating, but then it rose significantly, and thus the shop owners were unable to retrieve their goods.”
Speaking to ANI, the Director of Civil Defense said that rescue teams tried to rescue goods from the damaged shops, but the sudden collapse of the building hampered the efforts.
He added: “We made concerted efforts to salvage the goods, but the sudden collapse of the building prevented us from recovering a large portion of the inventory. The financial losses incurred here amount to millions of dollars.”
Meanwhile, residents of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday expressed their dismay over waterlogging and floods in the area, claiming that frequent floods have damaged their resources and endangered crops.
Sections of the old Samba-Kathua road in Sahar Khad were washed away following floods caused by heavy rainfall. Traffic remains suspended, cutting off communication with neighboring villages.
One resident, Muhammad Ali, said the situation had become critical and people were struggling to provide necessities such as food and water.
Pointing to the rising water levels in the area, Ali said: “Just look at the water levels here – there is a lot of water. The area was flooded last time too, but the government did nothing to solve the problem; they just got rid of some soil, which was washed away.” He added: “Now, there is a looming danger where the crops are; everything there could be destroyed.”
Another resident said the existing water management structure had failed and had not been repaired, leading to recurring problems.
Read more: 11 dead and many missing after floods and landslides in Poonch, Rajouri
“A water management structure was built, but it failed and has not been repaired. A proper dam or barrier should be built here. It was like that last year as well; everything was washed away. Many villages have been affected, and everyone is in distress,” a resident said.
Meanwhile, heavy rains have lashed Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir as well since early Tuesday morning, prompting the district administration and Rajouri police to issue warnings asking residents to remain alert amid fears of rising river levels and risks of flash floods, landslides and water logging.
