— PHOTO: PTI

BATTLING A CALAMITY: A man rowing a boat towards his house in Srinagar, on Wednesday, to shift his family to safety. — PHOTO: PTI

SRINAGAR : As rains continue to lash the Kashmir valley for the fifth day, several areas have been submerged forcing the authorities to evacuate hundreds of families. Police and civil administration have been put on high alert.

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the 10th day. It was opened briefly to allow some vehicles to enter the valley with essential commodities. Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Basharat Ahmad Dhar told The Hindu that there was a respite in the rains, giving the "administration a breather to move into affected areas." He said leave for Government employees had been cancelled.

The water level in Jhelum, that rose to a high of 21.40 metres at Sangam in south Kashmir during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday has, however, begun to recede and had reached 19.90 metres on Wednesday afternoon, a touch below the danger mark. Downstream, in central Srinagar district too, the water level was below the danger mark. The level was, however, rising in north Kashmir, said Mr. Dhar.

Azad holds meet

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who arrived here from Delhi on Wednesday, chaired a meeting of police and civil administration officers here. With one more death, the toll in Kashmir has gone up to three and in the State to eight. The death was reported from Hamdan Colony in central Budgam district where a truck was swept off by a strong current. While people managed to save the driver, another person died.

Two more deaths were reported from the southern Anantnag district on Tuesday.

Several areas of the valley, including Padshahi Bagh, Lasjan and Alsteng in Srinagar, were completely submerged when Jhelum's embankment developed a 300-foot-long crack.

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