As incessant rains continue to lash Kashmir Valley, General Officer Commanding Chinar Corps, Lieutenant General Subrata Saha Wednesday said that Army have got all their company operating bases in every corner of Kashmir and are ready to take on any kind of emergency. He told CNS that they are constantly in touch with Divisional Commissioner and other agencies. “There is close coordination between all the agencies and they are sharing inputs with one another. We had a detailed meeting with the Chief Minister of the State that was attended by my Chief of Staff and Chief Engineer. All the arrangements are in place to deal with any kind of emergency situation,” he said.
Sabrata Saha said that there are couple of factors that have been giving scare to the people of Srinagar city. “It is the spilled channels rather than the Jehlum itself where the more weaknesses are evident because at most of the places there is waterlogging and a bit of overflow of water from spilled channels are adding problems for the people. The areas affected due to waterlogging are Bemina, Qamarwari, Sonawar, Hokarsar and touching Zainkot almost huging Sharifabad. The complication is happening because the water is flowing from the spilled channels,” he said. “Two things along the Jehlum in Srinagar are causing concern. First the ground water level is very high, so there is some kind of seepage that is coming from the down bleow while the second thing is that there are number of places where bunds were repaired and from those bunds seepage is taking place,” he said.
GoC Chinar Corps said that, “boats that we have in Kashmir have been distributed. We are ready to respond as and when it is required. We have got 25 medical teams who are present at different places. Sources have been mobalized in North, Central and South Kashmir,” he said. Expressing regret over the loss of 16 lives in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Lieutenant General Sabrata Saha said that the Laden area where four houses sunk due the mudslide were on top of the hill and the condition of the soil was very soft there. He said that the houses that get collapsed are having mud walls and are unable to withstand the heavy downpour. (CNS)