Srinagar: A minor boy died after a cloudburst struck a hamlet in south Kashmir's Kulgam district while two more cloudbursts hit Bandipora and Shopian districts, but there was no loss of life. Officials said that the cloudburst hit the Panward hamlet in Damhal Hanjipora of Kulgam district on Thursday morning in which a 14-year-old boy Mukhtar Ahmad Chouhan died while another was injured. Two cows were also killed in the natural calamity.
Officials said that the district administration assisted by the locals rescued the others to safer areas. The second cloudburst hit the Dardpora village in Bandipora creating flash floods in the local Dardpora stream. The third cloudburst occurred in Nowgam the area of Shopian, which created fear among the residents. However, there was no loss of life in these two natural calamities.
Officials said that many trees were uprooted in Baramulla town due to incessant rainfall and winds, which disrupted traffic movement towards the SSP Office in Baramulla. However, the officials swung into action and restored the traffic by clearing off the uprooted trees and branches.
Environmental experts said that due to climate change, the Kashmir Valley is witnessing extreme weather changes, including cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods. Last week, a cloudburst hit a village in the Kangan area of the Ganderbal district, which created a loss of property worth cores and displaced the local inhabitants.
The traffic police reported that despite the continuous rainfall in the Valley, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained unaffected, and the Mughal Road is also open for travel. "The traffic police advised commuters to adhere to the traffic advisory, maintain lane discipline, and avoid overtaking to prevent congestion. They also confirmed that the SSG Road, Mughal Road, Bhaderwah-Chamba Road, and NH-244 are all open for vehicular movement.
The Kashmir Valley has been receiving moderate to heavy rainfall since Thursday morning which brought respite from a long-hot summer days. The Meteorological department has warned that the intense and heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir may lead to flash floods, landslides, mudslides and shooting stones over vulnerable places during the next five days. "Water logging in low-lying areas and increase in water levels in rivers and streams," it said, adding that light to moderate rainfall will continually occur "at many places" in Jammu and Kashmir.
