Flood threat resurfaces as Jammu and Kashmir experiences fresh rainfall

Srinagar: Flood fears resurfaced in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday after fresh rainfall was reported in Srinagar.

The Met department has forecast light to moderate rains today, raising fresh concerns among people who were hoping to see the end of woes caused by floods.

The director of Indian Meteorological Department in Jammu and Kashmir, Sonam Lotus, said the first few days of April would receive heavy rainfall.

"We have issued warning of heavy rainfall from April 1-3 and thereafter the weather will gradually improve," Lotus said in Srinagar city.

Water level in river Jhelum was also receding and it was flowing at 16.45 feet at Sangam in south Kashmir, down over six feet compared to 22.80 feet 24 hours earlier.

General Officer Commanding of Chinar Corps, Lieutenant General Subrata Saha has said the Army has its operating bases all across the state to handle any situation arising out of the flood-like situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have got our operating bases in all corners of Kashmir ready to take on any situation. That is precisely what I had gone to check, we are ready to take on any emergency ... What is different from the last time is that the spill channels rather than the Jhelum itself where the weaknesses (of Bunds) are evident because in most of the places there is lot of water logging and a bit of overflow of water from the spill channel. These two are adding together to complicate the problem," Saha told.

Eight teams of National Disaster Response Force have been rushed to Kashmir and Armed forces, along with four helicopters, have been placed in readiness for deployment at short notice.

In September last year, 300 people had died and tens of thousands were left homeless when unprecedented floods hit the state.