J&K floods: Seven bodies recovered, Jhelum water recedes; Mufti sanctions Rs 235 cr relief

The state government, meanwhile, said the water level of Jhelum river which had touched the flood levels at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh is showing a declining or static trend.

“Water level in Jhelum which had touched the flood levels at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh is showing a declining or static trend,” an official spokesman said.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi visited Pattan area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district to take stock of the situation in the wake of heavy rains.

“Naqvi, accompanied by state Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sukhnandan and Minister for Technical Education Imran Reza Ansari visited several villages of Pattan and other adjacent areas to take stock of the situation which has arisen due to incessant rains,” an official spokesman said.

While interacting with people, the ministers assured them that necessary mechanism have been put in place.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir government sanctioned Rs 235 crore to meet the situation created by floods in the state, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed announced in the Assembly.

“I have authorized release of Rs 225 crore in favour of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and Rs 10 crore in favour of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu and SDRF (State Disaster Relief Fund) for rescue and relief,” he said while making a statement on the flood situation.

The NDRF teams deployed to the valley have not reached Srinagar due to a “technical snag” in the airplane. The team is waiting at Bathinda base for an airlift to Srinagar. Although the water level in south Kashmir has started to recede, water levels are still increasing in Srinagar and north Kashmir.

“There was a technical snag in the plane and we are yet to reach Srinagar,” a senior NDRF official, who is part of the team, told The Indian Express over phone. “IAF has called in another aircraft and we are expected to arrive in Srinagar shortly”.

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Sources say that the NDRF team, after arriving in Srinagar, is likely to be dispatched to Budgam area, where 16 people are trapped after two houses collapsed due to slush coming in from the mountains.

ALSO READ: Panic in Valley

Though it has been more than 15 hours since the rain stopped, the water levels in river Jhelum are still a cause of worry in the valley. The official figures show that the water has started to recede in south Kashmir, but is slowly increasing in Srinagar and north Kashmir.

The officials say that the water level at Sangam in south Kashmir was recorded at 21.70 feet at 2 pm – a decrease of 0.85 feet since morning. The water levels in Srinagar and north Kashmir, however, are still increasing slowly. In Srinagar, the water level was recorded at 19.70 feet at 2 pm, an increase of 0.60 feet since morning. The water in Jhelum in Srinagar is slowing at 0.70 feet above the danger level.

In north Kashmir, though the water level is still three feet below the danger level, it has registered a steady increase over the past several hours. The water level at Asham in Sonawari was recorded at 12 feet at 2 pm, indicating an increase of 0.59 feet. The water level at Asham is still 2 feet below the flood declaration level.

With weather remaining dry over the past 15 hours, the water levels are expected to recede in Srinagar too after several hours. The rising water in Jhelum in Srinagar, however, have inundated many low-lying areas of the city. At Hamdania Colony in Bemina, water from the flood spill channel has entered a large number of houses forcing people to shift to safer places.

Here are the LIVE updates:

#JKFloods: Three bodies recovered from under the debris in Budgam, 13 still missing @IndianExpress 1/2

— Bashaarat Masood (@bashaaratmasood) March 30, 2015

#JKFloods: bodies of two women and 12-year-old girl recovered, hundreds of rescue workers on job @IndianExpress 2/2

— Bashaarat Masood (@bashaaratmasood) March 30, 2015

#kashmirFloods 20 columns with rescue boats and other equipment kept on alert to deal with any situation:Army @IndianExpress

— Pranav Kulkarni (@PranavKulkarni) March 30, 2015

#kashmirFloods Army’s Badami Baugh cantonment becomes the joint control room..again..@IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/cJFiNrPXxI

— Pranav Kulkarni (@PranavKulkarni) March 30, 2015

12:39 pm: “This is a must to give some sort of satisfaction to the people,” he said.

12:39 pm: The NC leader said people should not play politics over the flood situation and work to save the lives of the people.

12:38 pm: Omar Abdullah asked the Centre what steps it was taking to help the state even as he accused the Narendra Modi government of delaying rehabilitation of the those hit by last year’s deluge.

10:30 am: Two houses sink into ground at Chadoora area in Budgam district of Kashmir, 16 people feared trapped: police

#J&Kfloods:IAF.One IL 76 with NDRF load departed from Bhatinda for Srinagar @IndianExpress

— Pranav Kulkarni (@PranavKulkarni) March 30, 2015

No breachs reported from anywhere so far.We are monirting the situation closely: MoS Ashraf Mir to @IndianExpress #Kashmirfloods #Kashmir

— Adil Akhzer (@AdilAkhzer) March 30, 2015

8:20 am If the water level breaches 23 feet mark, the state will have to undertake a massive rescue operations and evacuate people from areas adjoining the river.

8:20 am: Jhelum river today crossed danger level in Srinagar and Sangam area of South Kashmir with heavy rains lashing most parts of the state which sounded an  alert asking people to move to safer places.

The water level in Jhelum in north Kashmir, however, is still below the flood declaration level. At Asham in Sonawari, the water level in the morning was recorded at 11 feet which its three feet below the flood alert level.

Thankfully, there has been no rain for the past several hours in most parts of the valley though the weather is still cloudy. The Met office has predicted rains till April 4.

The incessant rains have triggered panic across Kashmir as waterlogging has closed many roads for traffic movement. The flash floods in rural Kashmir has also damaged bridges and road infrastructure and caused panic in the valley.

An Indian paramilitary soldier walks through a flooded street following heavy rains in Srinagar, Sunday, March 29, 2015. Heavy rains have been reported in several parts of the Kashmir valley. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)