After touching the alarm mark, the water started receding in river Jhelum on Friday evening, said an official.
Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department Iftikhar Ahmad Kakroo told the Greater Kashmir, “At Sangam in south Kashmir the water level in river Jhelum started receding from Thursday afternoon and today it has gone down considerably.”
He added that the water level started receding on Friday evening in Srinagar when it touched an alarm mark on gauge at 16 feet.
He informed that on Friday, the water level was increasing in Srinagar till evening. “It was because the water from south Kashmir was reaching Srinagar. It got regulated smoothly and flowed onwards to north Kashmir,” he said.
In Srinagar, authorities sound an alarm when the water level in the river touches 16 feet on gauge and on 18 feet floods are declared.
“The water level remained constant for a few hours in Srinagar after touching 16.35 feet on gauge, an alert mark. Then it started receding in the evening,” the Chief Engineer said.
He said the weather forecast is favourable and the levels are expected to reduce further considerably till Saturday evening.
“People are requested not to panic but remain alert and vigilant. In case of any emergency they are requested to contact Irrigation and Flood Control Department and District Administration of respective districts,” he added.
Since the devastating floods of 2014, continuous rains bring flood scare in minds and hearts of people who then often rush to check the water level in Jhelum.
Flood threat subsides in river Sindh:
The threat of flood subsided in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Friday as the water level started receding gradually in river Sindh, much to the relief of locals who were in panic after flood alert was issued late Thursday night.
The flood alert was sounded at 10 pm on Thursday night after water level in Sindh near Duderhama crossed 3.74 metre mark following incessant rains in Kashmir since Wednesday morning.
“The water level has been gradually receding in nallah Sindh during the past 18 hours. The flood threat has subsided,” an Irrigation and Flood department official told the Greater Kashmir.
Meanwhile, flash floods in Chuntwaliwar area of tehsil Lar in Ganderbal district damaged the crops and roads in the area besides the water entered many residential houses causing damage to them.
The residents have urged the district administration Ganderbal to provide relief to the affected people.