Srinagar, Aug 27: With heavy rains triggering flood concerns across several districts of the Valley, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg on Wednesday assured that the administration is on high alert and closely monitoring water levels across Kashmir.
Speaking to the media, Garg said that the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department is tracking gauge levels at key points, Sangam, Anantnag, and Ram Munshi Bagh, on an hourly basis. “Field teams have been deployed across South, Central and North Kashmir to respond swiftly to any escalation,” he said.
District administrations, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and disaster management authorities have been placed on standby. “Deputy Commissioners in the affected areas are already on the ground. As a precautionary step, colleges and universities were closed last night after a high-level review chaired by the Chief Secretary,” Garg informed.
He urged residents to stay away from river embankments and swollen streams. “There is no fresh heavy rainfall predicted by the IMD for the coming hours. Water levels are expected to stabilize, which should ease public concerns,” he added.
Advisories have been issued for vulnerable and low-lying areas, including parts of Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, and Kulgam. “Mobile teams and loudspeakers are being used to disseminate real-time updates and safety instructions,” the Div Com said.
On the communication front, Garg confirmed that the heads of telecom providers, BSNL, Jio, and Airtel, are in direct coordination with the administration. “Hotline services remain operational to ensure uninterrupted communication in case of emergencies,” he said.
He added that the Chief Secretary’s office and Raj Bhawan are receiving continuous updates. “The administration is fully prepared. While the situation remains under control for now, our teams are stationed on the ground and ready to respond if conditions worsen,” he assured.
Commissioner of SMC informed the meeting that 49 mobile dewatering pumps had been deployed in waterlogged areas across the city.
Officials from the Meteorological department informed the gathering that there is currently no imminent flood threat, and the weather is expected to improve later in the evening.
Later, Div Com visited Hari Niwas to inspect the operation and functioning of UT level Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) where he checked the consolidated data of the centre and distress calls received from the general public.
