Gusty winds leave behind a trail of destruction across Kashmir
Girl killed, properties and trees damaged
Srinagar: A girl died while three others were wounded after a tree fell on a temporary tent in Kellar area of Shopian district following strong gusty winds late Sunday night, which caused huge damage to both public and private properties.
The strong winds damaged the rooftops of several houses, shops, masjids as well as shrines across the valley. Extensive damage has been reported to the apple farms in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, reports and witnesses said.
As per the details, a tree fell on a temporary tent in the Kellar area of Shopian, resulting in the on-spot death of a girl, Sobiya Riyaz, daughter of Muhammad Riyaz.
Three others, who sustained injuries in the incident, have been identified as Muhammad Riyaz, Rubeena and Saima Kousar. They belong to Rajouri and were presently putting up in a tent in Gadder forests.
Reports of damage have been received from Pulwama district where High-Density Apple farm suffered massive damage.
A local farmer said nearly 600 trees were damaged in the gusty winds, causing extensive losses to them. He appealed to the government to look into the matter.
Moreover, several houses got partially damaged in south Kashmir areas in the gusty winds.
In north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, several structures, the rooftops of houses wand a Dar-ul-Uloom were damaged. Several trees were uprooted during the gusty winds in the district.
Similar reports of damage were reported from Soproe areas. Besides, over half a dozen sheep belonging to a nomad family were killed while nine others were injured in Peerina forests in Baramulla.
The incident, as per the officials, occurred at around 10:30 pm after trees fell on the livestock in the forests.
Reports of damage were also reported from the Tangmarg area where multiple shops and houses suffered damage as strong winds pierced through villages.
The rooftop of a shrine in Wakura area in Ganderbal was damaged while several houses in Kangan sub-division suffered damage during the strong gusty winds. Massive damage has been reported from Gagangarhama village as well. The trees got uprooted at multiple places, including Peerpora Ganderbal, causing panic among the masses.
In Srinagar, the windowpanes of dozens of houses were damaged in multiple areas while the rooftop of a Masjid in Gadood Bagh area was also damaged.
Meanwhile, following the gusty winds that affected electricity in many areas of Kashmir, Power Development Department (PDD) said that it has restored over 90 percent of electricity and is likely to restore the power fully by late Monday evening.
“Our ground staff is working round the clock since yesterday late evening to restore the power supply in affected areas,” an official of the PDD department said.
The official said that almost 98 percent transmission lines of 33KV are functioning and as far as power feeders are concerned, more than 90 percent feeders are working. “Out of 1295 feeders, more than 1150 feeders are operating,” he said.
There is an ‘extensive damage’ in the infrastructure of KPDCL and as far as the assessment of the damage is concerned, the official said that the department was working on it. “It has come to notice that many electric poles, transmission lines as well as some smart meters have been damaged by the gusty winds.”
“We have restored almost 90 percent of the electricity and we are trying our best to restore the 100 percent power by today late evening,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the official said that there was extensive damage to 33KV and 11KV transmission lines. “Electric poles have also suffered a huge damage due to the gusty winds.”
The official further said that a huge damage was caused in many areas of Kulgam, Pulwama, Srinagar, and parts of north Kashmir. “We are all out on the ground trying to restore electricity in the affected areas,” he said.
Pertinently, gusty winds coupled with heavy rain damaged transmission lines and electric poles in several areas of the Kashmir Valley late evening on Sunday. (KNO)
