Srinagar: Heavy rains wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir over the past few days, throwing normal life out of gear. Incessant rainfall inundated Srinagar's iconic Lal Chowk, and images of the flooded tourist attraction also surfaced online. Waterlogging was also reported from several parts of Srinagar. Locals slammed authorities for waterlogging and questioned the city's Smart City infrastructure project. Meanwhile, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) blamed heavy showers for clogging the city's drainage system.
Last month, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reportedly ordered an external audit of the Srinagar Smart City project.
BJP Blames NC Government:
After waterlogging was reported in several parts of the J7K's capita, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the Abdullah-led National Conference government in the UT. “One spell of rain and Srinagar comes to a standstill. Flooded roads, paralysed traffic, and helpless citizens expose the city's crumbling infrastructure. The people deserve better. Unfortunately, the present JKNC government has failed them,” the BJP’s said in a statement.
Amarnath Yatra Suspended:
In the wake of incessant rains, Amarnath Yatra remained suspended. The pilgrimage was suspended on July 19 from both Baltal and Pahalgam routes due to inclement weather. Meanwhile, school holidays have already been extended till July 23.On July 18, The Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra was also temporarily suspended for a day.
Death Toll In Rain-Related Incidents Rises To 23:
The death toll in rain-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 23 on Monday as heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the Union Territory.The rise in fatalities comes as the India Meteorological Department has forecast very heavy rainfall at a few places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh on July 20 and 21, and heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Assam and Meghalaya on July 20.It further said that monsoon is likely to remain active over northwest and northeast India during the next 4–5 days.The weather office said the active monsoon conditions have been caused by the weakening of a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and a strengthening of the monsoon current over north India.Jammu and Kashmir remained the worst-affected as at least 11 people, including a mother and her two children, were killed in rain-related incidents across Jammu, raising the death toll to 23 over the past two days, officials said.Seven people remained missing as persistent heavy rains hampered rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Poonch and Rajouri earlier in the day. Although efforts were intensified as the weather improved, search teams failed to trace the missing persons so far, the officials said.In a heart-wrenching incident, seven people, including a woman and her two children, were buried alive after a landslide triggered by heavy rains brought down their mud house in the upper reaches of Loran in Poonch, officials said.They further said that the Jammu-Kishtwar national highway remained blocked as a couple of private vehicles were also hit by boulders in the area. However, the occupants of the vehicles escaped unhurt.
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