A city used to shutdowns steps into the deluge

A group of people stood on the embankment that divides the shopping arcades on Residency Road from the Jhelum. The rising muddy waters of the river could be seen. Suddenly, the water started rising at an unusual speed, causing alarm as people started calling out to each other.

The shopkeepers rushed to their shops and started shifting their merchandise and other valuables. There were vehicles plying on the Residency Road and Moulana Azad Road — the two highways that run parallel around the city centre, Lal Chowk, — till late night. There was a sense of urgency as people rushed around, shouting and praying.

But the neighbouring police station in Kothibagh, just a dozen metres away, was unusually calm. After some initial attempts to help those stranded in the colonies that have come up illegally inside the Jhelum’s catchement area, the administration slipped into complete inaction. Even the policemen were not visible. Finally, the people themselves started evacuating residents from the half-a-dozen houseboats on the Jhelum.

The Srinagar office of The Indian Express is housed in a shopping arcade which lies on the banks of the Jhelum. There was no way to go home on Saturday as all the roads were flooded.

At 3 am on Sunday, the water slipped over the embankment, and made its way towards the Residency Road. At the break of dawn, the water level suddenly rose by several feet, rushing over the embankment. Within minutes, the Residency Road was submerged. In a few hours, Lal Chowk as well as the Moulana Azad Road were also under water.

Soon, cries and shouts for help could be heard from across the river. The uptown neighbourhoods of Rajbagh, Kursu, Jawahar Nagar and Gogji Bagh were submerged. Hundreds of people, both residents and tourists, were trapped. Dozens of children in an orphanage in Jawahar Nagar area were also stranded.

By around 2:30 pm, the level of water on the roads was around 3 feet. A small breach in the embankment would mean there would be no way out of our office building. So we decided to head out for a safer place. On the way, groups of people could be seen desperately trying to flee to safety.

Unable to reach officials or access the helpline numbers, many sent messages to their friends and family outside the city before their phone batteries went dead. Many logged on to social networking sites to reach out for help. “Dr Shakeel Khan with his old ailing mother and small children marooned on the top floor of his house at Kursoo Rajbagh… Needs immediate rescue and evacuation. Please help,” was one of the many messages.

By evening, the water level of the Jhelum had started to rise again. It was going to be another long night. And we were still on the road.