Flood Situation Arises in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir due to Swollen Jhelum River. Police and SDRF Safely Evacuate 200 Families. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Reviews Relief Efforts and Demands Damage Assessment from the Center.
J&K Flood: Several low-lying areas in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have been inundated due to the swelling of the Jhelum River. After the situation worsened in the early hours of Thursday, the administration and rescue agencies took immediate action. After strenuous efforts, approximately 200 families were moved to safer locations. The administration claims that timely evacuation prevented loss of life, although there has been property damage.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Reviews the Situation
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the flood-affected areas of Budgam and Lasjan. He assured the local residents that the government is taking concrete steps to deal with such disasters in the future. He also stated that after two days of rain, people should not fear floods.
Abdullah praised the swift action taken by the administration and said that a major tragedy was averted due to the timely measures.
Omar Abdullah Targets Previous Governments
Referring to the devastating floods of 2014, the Chief Minister stated that the government at that time did not take adequate steps to secure the valley. Abdullah said that the last 11 years have been "wasted" as no concrete steps were taken to strengthen the Jhelum River and the drainage system.
He added that if work had been done on the drainage system and the cleaning of the Jhelum, such a major problem would not have been faced this time.
Request to the Center for Damage Assessment
The Chief Minister announced that he will write a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to send a team to assess the damages incurred in the valley. He informed that a central team is already assessing the damage in 10 districts of the Jammu division and requested the same team to assess the situation in Kashmir as well.
Police and SDRF Teams Played a Crucial Role
In view of the flood-like situation in Srinagar and Budgam districts, the police, in collaboration with SDRF and River Police, launched a rescue operation. A police spokesperson stated that approximately 200 families and 24 houseboat families were rescued. They were safely evacuated from sensitive areas like Pirzo Island and Basant Bagh.
Appeal to the Public to Exercise Caution
The police appealed to the public to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rainfall and to immediately report any dangers such as waterlogging, fallen trees, or electrical accidents to the nearest police station or control room.
Educational Institutions Closed in the Valley
Due to continuous rain and flood-like conditions, all educational institutions in the valley have been closed for the past two days. The administration clarified that schools will reopen only when the situation normalizes.
Memories of the 2014 Floods Re-emerge
Local residents say that the current situation has brought back the harrowing memories of the 2014 floods. At that time, thousands of people were displaced, and there was significant loss of life. However, this time, the administration took timely action and evacuated people, averting a major disaster.
