Worst floods in Jammu & Kashmir in six decades Many civilians, Army men remain trapped in Srinagar

Indian Military Veterans

Majid Jahangir & Ishfaq Tantry
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 8
The situation in Srinagar is getting critical as more and more areas on the outskirts of the city are getting inundated following the unprecedented floods.

Official estimates said nearly 17,000 persons, including 2,000 Army men, were trapped at various localities in Srinagar. Unofficial figures suggested that the number was higher.

It was feared that casualty figures might rise as rescuers recovered bodies of seven infants from GB Pant Children Hospital, where between 300 and 400 persons were still trapped.

“We have launched a massive rescues operation, but a large number of people are still trapped in submerged localities,” said an Army spokesman in Srinagar.

He added that the Air Force was pressed into service for rescue and relief operations. Despite rescue operations, families were trapped in Srinagar neighbourhoods.

The situation was grim due to breakdown of the communication network in the Kashmir valley. People lost contact with relatives trapped in submerged areas.

There were reports that houses in many marooned localities had collapsed, giving rise to fears of more civilian casualties.

“My brother and his family are trapped in their house in Jawahar Nagar. I had telephone contact with him till 10 pm on Sunday,” said Dr Govinder Singh, a pediatrician.

“My brother had shifted to a house in the locality from the third floor of his marooned house using a wooden log,” he said.

He was waiting at Lawaypora on the outskirts of the city to arrange a rescue operation for his brother. He could not go beyond Lawaypora as the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway beyond it was submerged.

“When I last talked to my brother, he was crying and losing hope. He told me that a house adjacent to his had collapsed. I feel helpless as I cannot arrange any rescue operation.” he said.

He added that his brother last told him that the water level in the area was not receding despite the passage of more than 10 hours.

Security forces and civilian volunteer teams continued rescue operations on Monday. At Lawaypora, Dr Tariq Wani of Kupwara was waiting for his brother Khalid, whose wife and little daughter were trapped in Jawahar Nagar.

“On Saturday night, Dr Khalid was posted at LD Hospital. As flooding started in Srinagar on Sunday morning, he came out and told his wife in Jawahar Nagar to get out,” he said.

“Khalid managed to come out, but his wife and daughter got trapped as the water level rose fast. We do not know their fate as there is no contact. We cannot make a telephone call,” he said.

Radio and television stations closed transmission as the installations were flooded. A woman leaving an HMT locality with her infant daughter broke down, saying all belonging were washed away.

“I came back to see my house. People told me that all houses in the locality were submerged. We have nothing as we could not carry anything when we fled yesterday,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

The critical areas in Srinagar were on the right of the river, including Badamibagh headquarters, and on the Rajbagh side. From Badamibagh side, 25 boats were pressed into service. Between 300 and 400 persons, including staff, were trapped in GB Pant Hospital.

From Rajbagh side, over 20 boats were pressed into service. The Army estimated that nearly 15,000 civilians were still trapped in their houses in Srinagar.

The body of a woman was recovered from Shivpora on Sunday. The Army rescued 28 Pakistani nationals and shifted them to safe places. They had come here to attend the SAARC Golf Tournament.

Now, flood alert in North Kashmir

n The situation in north Kashmir, particularly Baramulla, was critical as the water level in the Jhelum was rising. The civil administration sounded an alert in the low-lying areas and localities near the river.

n The authorities shifted some families from Jahama locality in Baramulla on Sunday evening. The authorities evacuated people from a gurdwara and a religious seminary in Baramulla.

nThe police evacuated personnel from a training centre in Sheeree. Villages from Hajin, Sumbal, Sonawari and Gundjahangir in Bandipora fled as there were fears that the Jhelum might breach the Hajin area.