6 bodies recovered from landslides in J&K; toll rises to 16

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Six bodies were recovered today in Budgam district taking the death toll to 16 in Jammu and Kashmir as several areas of the Valley and parts of Jammu were in deluge caused by heavy rain over the weekend.

The six bodies were recovered today from the debris in Laden village in Chadoora of Budgam, a senior police official said, adding that one person who was trapped in mudslides was feared dead.

Process to evacuate affected people was underway as eight teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were rushed to Kashmir. Armed forces, along with four helicopters, have been placed in readiness for deployment at short notice after local authorities declared a flood situation in the Valley.

The central government yesterday granted Rs 200 crore as immediate relief as Prime Minister Narendra Modi rushed minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to Kashmir for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and coordinate with state authorities with regard to the requirements.

Due to heavy rains over the weekend, river Jhelum was flowing above the danger mark at several places including Sangam in Anantnag district and Ram Munshi Bagh in the city.

Flood water entered several low-lying areas of Kashmir, including capital Srinagar, leading to panic among the locals for whom memories of the devastating deluge only seven months back are fresh in mind.

Over 280 people had died and tens of thousands left homeless and property worth hundreds of crores damaged in unprecedented floods in the state in September last year.
The flood threat in Kashmir Valley today reduced in view of the weather holding up over the past 24 hours resulting in substantial decrease in water level of River Jhelum, which is now flowing below the flood level.

Jhelum was flowing at 16.45 feet at Sangam in south Kashmir, down over six feet compared to 22.80 feet 24 hours earlier, a police official said.

He said the water level at Ram Munshi Bagh in the city has also reduced by more than one and a half feet and it was expected to drop further during the day.

Although the weather has been cloudy, there has been no fresh rainfall over the past 24 hours which has eased the flood concerns in the city.

The weatherman has forecast light to moderate rains later in the day and tomorrow.

"Light to moderate rainfall is expected in Kashmir over the next 24 hours," a MET department spokesman said.

Heavy rainfall on Saturday and Sunday led to a sudden surge in the water level of Jhelum and its tributaries, causing panic among the residents of the valley about the possibility of fresh floods.

Wide parts of Kashmir were devastated in floods last September.