Flood threat looms in Srinagar after snow starts melting
SRINAGAR: As snow has started to melt, the low lying areas in the city are facing flood-like situation and the residents are finding it difficult to cope with the situation. The situation has further been complicated due to non-availability of electricity in dewatering stations, which is badly affecting the process of draining out water from the submerged areas.
The roads in several low lying areas especially Chanapora and Mehjoor Nagar were submerged in water after snow started melting. The dewatering stations were rendered ineffective due to non-availability of electricity. People were seen wading through ice cold waters at several places. The city areas are facing such a situation because the dewatering stations in the city were not functioning as power supply remained disrupted due to damage to electricity poles and wires.
“It is a flood-like situation here in Mehjoor Nagar. The area has been submerged and if the water is not drained out, there is every possibility that it may seep into our houses,” said a resident Aijaz Ahmad.
He said that the dewatering stations are not functional in the area. The residents of Chanapora also complained that the water has inundated the area and there is apprehension that if preventive measures are not taken by authorities, it may find way into their houses. Confirming submerging of some areas, an official of City Drainage Division (CDD) Avtar Krishan Koul told Rising Kashmir, “The present problem of submerging has arisen due to snapping of power supply to the dewatering stations.”
The department operates 68 dewatering stations in the city. Most of the stations are used in places where the outflow cannot be achieved by gravity. “Most of our stations have been set up in the city’s low-lying areas like Jahawar Nagar, Chanapora, Natipora, Rajbagh, Sonawar, Lal Chowk, Gojgibagh and Bemina,” said Mohammad Hanief Lone, Executive Engineer CDD.
However he added that of the total strength only 20 stations have the facility of diesel generators. “Most of the stations depend on electricity,” Lone said, adding, “Any power failure results in the inundation of city areas.“At several places we do have the option to operate the diesel generators to carry forward the pumping operation, but we are mostly dependent on electricity. If electricity is not supplied round the clock to the water supply, the dewatering stations cannot drain out water from the city areas,” CDD official Koul said.
“There are only seven stations where separate power supply is provided to dewatering stations while rests follow the PDD schedule. As we deal with the essential service all our stations should have a reliable and uninterrupted supply. That is not the case and we have to request the PDD to restore our supplies on priority basis,” he said.
The executive engineer CDD said, “This time around our dewatering stations must be running round the clock but we have to wait for the restoration of power supply, which results in submerging of some low-lying areas.” Some dewatering stations are not in working condition. “Some of our watering pumps need replacement,” added Lone..-SANA
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