Anantnag town submerged; SDRF boats, tractors ferry people across inundated areas

Anantnag, Aug 27: The main town of Anantnag was submerged after heavy rains in Kashmir, with people being ferried across flooded areas by tractors and SDRF boats.Areas around Lal Chowk, the Deputy Commissioner’s office, and Mehandi Kadal were inundated with water above ankle level on Wednesday. The flooding was caused mainly by rainwater, as the Jhelum, which flows close to the sports stadium, swelled. Even the Principal District Judge had to reach the court premises—located just behind the DC office—by SDRF boat.Taking to the microblogging site X, the Chief Minister’s Office said that Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Rana and Advisor to the HCM Nasir Aslam Wani visited the Flood Monitoring Station at Sangam to assess preparedness for the emerging flood situation.“The Chief Minister has directed the establishment of a coordinated mechanism to effectively address the evolving situation,” the CMO statement read.Health Minister Sakina Itoo also visited GMC Anantnag. She said, “At 12:30 last night, I was informed about the risk of flooding at GMC Anantnag during heavy rains. I immediately spoke to the District Development Commissioner. This morning, I visited hospitals in Srinagar, including LD, SMHS, Bone & Joint, and now GMC Anantnag, to assess the situation and see if any immediate action was required.”She added that, thankfully, the water had receded during the night and the situation was under control. “Our priority is to ensure the safety and care of patients. God forbid, we all remember how difficult the situation was in 2014, and we are taking every step to prevent such a crisis,” she said.“The hospitals are functioning well, patients are being treated, and if anything more needs to be done, I came here to see it for myself and ensure it is done. The government, under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is committed to providing the best possible care to patients,” she added.Meanwhile, Anantnag police in a statement said that in response to the heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding across various parts of the district, Anantnag Police carried out a prompt and coordinated rescue operation to evacuate people who were trapped in waterlogged and flood-hit areas.Police said that upon receiving reports of people stranded due to the sudden rise in water levels, police teams immediately launched rescue operations. A combination of boats, tractors, and police vehicles was deployed to reach affected locations and safely transport residents to designated safe zones, the statement said.“Despite challenging weather and operational difficulties, police personnel worked tirelessly to ensure that all trapped individuals, including women, children, and the elderly, were safely evacuated without injury or loss of life. Temporary shelters and basic facilities were arranged in coordination with the district administration,” the police added.