Sudden surge in Sukhnag after intense rain in Tosa Maidan catchment damages shops, bridge, flood-control works
Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, July 21
One man died, and commercial establishments and public infrastructure were damaged after intense rainfall in the upper reaches of central Kashmir triggered flash floods in Beerwah and surrounding areas on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Shabir Ahmad Poswal of Drang in Khag, was swept away while attempting to cross a flooded nallah, officials said.
The Beerwah rainfall station recorded 38 mm of rain, while precipitation in the upper Tosa Maidan catchment, the source of the Sukhnag river, was estimated at more than 100 mm.
The resulting runoff caused the Sukhnag to rise rapidly, sending floodwaters through downstream settlements including Arizal, Zanigam, Sail, Beerwah, Rathsun, Makhama, Kawoosa and Narbal.
Beerwah was among the worst affected. Floodwaters entered homes and commercial establishments, while the municipal shopping complex near the bus stand suffered significant damage. Several shops were inundated or washed away as traders scrambled to salvage merchandise.
Floodwaters also breached embankments along the Sukhnag. The river diversion at Beerwah was washed away and a newly built bridge suffered structural damage.
The river level later fell by nearly three feet, but officials said the unusually rapid rise suggested an exceptionally intense localised rainfall event, possibly a cloudburst, in the upper catchment.
Deputy Commissioner Budgam Athar Aamir Khan visited affected areas in Beerwah and Narbal and reviewed emergency preparedness in several vulnerable locations.
Police, SDRF, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency Services and other departments were directed to remain on high alert, while officers were told to monitor nallahs, drains and other flood-prone points around the clock.
Residents were urged to remain indoors unless necessary and avoid approaching flooded nallahs, breached embankments and water bodies.
The administration was assessing the damage, while residents called for immediate repairs and longer-term flood-control measures to protect downstream communities.
