A houseboat capsized during heavy rains at Jehlum, in Srinagar, on Friday, June 29.
At least three deaths were reported from Jammu owing to rain-related incidents on Saturday and over a dozen houses were also damaged due to the rains in the district.
Meanwhile, intermittent rains continued in Kashmir on Saturday, with authorities sounding a flood alert in central Kashmir, even as water levels started receding in the southern parts of the valley.
The authorities had on Friday issued a flood alert in south Kashmir. On Saturday, they issued a flood alert for low-lying areas of central Kashmir, including Srinagar, and asked the people to be alert and prepared for evacuation. Schools across the Valley were closed on Saturday in view of the inclement weather.
"The gauge at Ram Munshi Bagh crossed the flood declaration of 18 feet and was flowing at 20.87 feet at 10 am," an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said.
He said the people living in areas along the embankments of Jhelum river and other streams and in low-lying areas of central Kashmir were advised to remain vigilant.
People travel in a boat to cross Dal Lake during heavy rainfall, in Srinagar on Friday, June 29.
"The staff deputed on flood duty in central Kashmir is directed to report to their sectors and beats," the official added.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said the people living in low-lying areas and embankments of river Jhelum in Srinagar were requested to be alert and prepared for evacuation.
In south Kashmir, the flood alert was sounded after the water level crossed the flood declaration level of 21 feet at Sangam in Anantnag district.
While the water level at Sangam at 10 am Saturday morning was 23.06 feet – still above the critical mark – the water had begun receding. At 9 am the water level there was 23.16 feet.
Kashmir Valley experienced heavy rainfall over the past three days and the downpour intensified in many parts, including the summer capital of the state, on Friday.
Pedestrians walk with umbrellas during heavy rains in Srinagar on Friday, June 29.
The rising water levels had Valley residents fearful of a rerun of the 2014 floods that caused widespread devastation and left over 300 dead.
An official of the MeT department said that the weather was likely to improve on Saturday.
The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed from both the on-foot routes of Baltal and Pahalgam on Saturday after being suspended for a couple of days due to inclement weather conditions. Incessant rainfall in the region for the past few days forced the authorities to suspend the yatra, but with improvement in weather, pilgrims were allowed to proceed towards the cave shrine. Air sorties by the administration have also resumed from Baltal.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra on Saturday undertook an extended tour of the summer capital for a first-hand view of the ground situation consequent to the rising water levels in the Jhelum river and streams in the Valley due to rains.
Vohra inspected the administration's preparedness to evacuate people if Srinagar gets flooded, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said.
He visited the Boulevard Road, Hydraulic Gauge Centre of the Jhelum river at Ram Munshi Bagh, Lasjan, and relief camps in the Rawal Pora and Ram Bagh areas for a first-hand view of the ground situation consequent to Jhelum rising above high flood levels, the spokesperson said.
The governor inspected the designated relief camps at the Tourism Department's Community Centre Goripora, Government Boys Higher Secondary School Rawal Pora and the ERA Complex in the Shopping Complex building at Ram Bagh. The divisional commissioner Kashmir explained the basic facilities being provided at these sites.
The governor instructed the commissioner, PHE, Flood, and Irrigation Department, to immediately ensure adequate availability of sandbags and other required materials for ensuring immediate repair of any breach in the Jhelum bundh, he said.
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