Amid continuous rains, J-K minister directs monitoring of water levels in all major river systems
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana on Sunday directed officials to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of water levels across all major river systems, with focus on the Jhelum, Ravi and Tawi rivers and their tributaries.
Rana passed the directions at a meeting of officers — including chief engineers — held to assess flood preparedness in the wake of torrential rains in most parts of the Union Territory over the last 24 hours.
Authorities have already issued advisories and asked people to stay away from water bodies and landslide-prone areas amid a weather forecast predicting moderate to intense rainfall with possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in high altitude areas till August 27.
The minister reviewed readiness and infrastructure needed to handle emergency situations, especially in flood-prone areas across Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesperson said.
Rana, who also visited the Flood Control and Management Room here, stressed the importance of real-time dissemination of early warning signals to all the departments concerned, agencies and stakeholders to enable swift and coordinated response.
In a major development to boost flood preparedness and communication, the minister was informed that the flood control department, in collaboration with the Information and Forecasting Cell, has developed the Kashmir Flood Watch App.
“This mobile application provides real-time updates on water levels in the Jhelum and its key tributaries, drawing data from a network of automatic water level recorders. The app plays a critical role in issuing early warnings and supporting informed, timely decision-making during emergencies,” the spokesperson said.
To ensure an organised and effective flood response, he said an extensive institutional framework has been established. This included a central flood committee, district coordination committees, flood zonal committees, sectors and beats, he said, adding each of these have been assigned specific roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth coordination, resource mobilisation and on-ground execution.
Rana reiterated the Omar Abdullah government’s commitment towards safeguarding lives and property through timely interventions, technology-driven solutions and public awareness initiatives.
He urged all the departments and citizens to stay vigilant, cooperate with the authorities and make effective use of the digital tools and real-time updates being provided by the government.
