Close X
Monday, December 2, 2024
ADVT 
India

Srinagar flooded, internet connectivity snaps

Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Sep, 2014 08:46 AM
    Flood waters Monday inundated most of Srinagar's residential and commercial areas as people scrambled to save whatever they could from the muddy, swirling waters.
     
    Mobile coverage was patchy across the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir while there was no internet connectivity.
     
    An estimated 70 percent of Srinagar was inundated for a second day Monday.
     
    Water entered shops in the main business hub of Lal Chowk and Residency. Desperate shopkeepers tried to retrieve their goods from the flooded shops.
     
    The death toll in the worst floods in Jammu and Kashmir in over 50 years is said to have crossed 150. However, information is patchy from remote areas now made inaccessible by the flood waters.
     
    The radio and television stations were shut Sunday after flood waters entered the installations.
     
    The authorities appeared ill equipped to battle the terrible calamity but did all they could in the circumstances.
     
    Mobiles went on the blink as private telecom service providers said their towers were badly damaged.
     
    Waters entered the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) headquarters on Maulana Azad Road, forcing its closure.
     
    There was no internet connectivity in the Kashmir Valley.
     
    The only communication tool still up and running is the police wireless system.
     
    Except for inter-district connectivity between Srinagar and north Kashmir's Ganderbal district, all other districts of the valley including Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Badgam, Baramulla and Bandipora were cut off.
     
    The air force Monday airlifted 70 boats as seven teams of the National Disaster Response Force struggled to save the flood victims. 
     
    Soldiers did a herculean task, rescuing the marooned. The navy deployed marine commandos.
     
    The Srinagar-Jammu highway as well as the Srinagar-Leh highway remained closed for the fourth day Monday.
     
    The floods have hit petrol availability in Srinagar. All petrol pumps were practically running dry, prompting pump operators to ration the fuel to just one litre for each vehicle.
     
    All educational institutes have been shut. All Haj flights to Saudi Arabia have been cancelled till Sep 12.
     
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reviewed the flood situation Sunday, has called it a national disaster.
     
    The silver lining is that there was sunshine in both the valley and Jammu region, with the weather office saying there would be fair weather for the next four days.
     
    The water level in all mountain streams and seasonal drains has gone down.
    But the Jhelum river, which caused maximum devastation, is still flowing above the danger mark.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Four injured in Pakistan firing in Jammu

    Four injured in Pakistan firing in Jammu
    Four people, including two troopers, were injured Monday in Pakistan firing at the international border in Jammu and Kashmir. The firing has now stopped...

    Four injured in Pakistan firing in Jammu

    Bring promised grants for Punjab: Congress tells Badal

    Bring promised grants for Punjab: Congress tells Badal
    The Congress in Punjab Sunday lashed out at the silence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal over the state's...

    Bring promised grants for Punjab: Congress tells Badal

    Vajpayee, Netaji to get Bharat Ratna?

    Vajpayee, Netaji to get Bharat Ratna?
    Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose may this year be bestowed with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian...

    Vajpayee, Netaji to get Bharat Ratna?

    BJP-Akalis: Friends in Punjab, foes in Haryana

    BJP-Akalis: Friends in Punjab, foes in Haryana
    Sworn allies in Punjab for over three decades, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal are political foes in adjoining Haryana. Weird?

    BJP-Akalis: Friends in Punjab, foes in Haryana

    Political Circus: With Priyanka's 'no', Congress revival prospects dim

    Political Circus: With Priyanka's 'no', Congress revival prospects dim
    There is little doubt that by declining to join "active" politics, Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra will not only cause huge disappointment to her growing...

    Political Circus: With Priyanka's 'no', Congress revival prospects dim

    Unprovoked firing by Pakistani army in Jammu and Kashmir

    Unprovoked firing by Pakistani army in Jammu and Kashmir
    Pakistani army violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions, an official said Saturday....

    Unprovoked firing by Pakistani army in Jammu and Kashmir