Srinagar: As flood alarms ring across Kashmir, the Jhelum and its banks have turned into a gathering spot for anxious onlookers.
In Srinagar’s Rajbagh and other riverfront areas, people stood along the embankments on Wednesday, eyes fixed on the Jhelum as it surged past the flood mark.
As water spilled into lanes and bylanes of Rajbagh, residents waded through submerged streets while curious visitors flocked to watch the swelling river. Many leaned over embankments with phones in hand, capturing photos and videos, while others simply stood in silence, listening to the rush of water.
With the Jhelum swelling dangerously after days of incessant rain, residents of Kursu Rajbagh in Srinagar turned to self-defense on Wednesday, lining riverbanks and lanes with sand and sandbags in a desperate bid to prevent a breach.
Throughout the day, men and youth ferried bags of sand, stacking them along the water’s edge and at vulnerable embankments.
For locals, the scene is far from a spectacle. A woman carrying her child through flooded lanes said, “We don’t know if the river will stop here or swallow more of our homes.”
Even as anxiety gripped residents, Rajbagh drew crowds treating the Jhelum like a stage, where its rise was measured not just in feet and inches, but in the worried eyes fixed upon it.
Meanwhile, officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department assured there was “no need to panic,” adding that emergency wings were on alert and closely monitoring the situation. (with KNO Inputs)
