Srinagar, May 21: Heavy rainfall triggered a flash flood-like situation near Darul Uloom Rahimiya along the Srinagar-Bandipora road on Thursday, causing water and mud to enter several homes, injuring two persons and damaging property, officials said.
Officials said two houses belonging to Nazir Ahmad Dar and Reyaz Ahmad Dar, residents of Nusoo in Bandipora, suffered partial damage in the incident.
Two people, including a minor girl identified as Muskaan, sustained minor injuries. One of the injured was discharged after receiving first aid, while the other was undergoing treatment at the District Hospital Bandipora.
Locals blamed the administration for negligence, alleging that the flooding could have been prevented had authorities acted promptly on complaints regarding a blocked drain and a leaking PHE pipe in the area.
Residents said they had approached the Municipal Committee and the R&B department a day before the incident, requesting immediate action.
“We visited both offices yesterday and pleaded with officials to clear the drain and stop the leakage, but instead of acting, the departments kept shifting responsibility onto each other,” a local resident, Zahoor Ahmad, said.
Residents further alleged that a newly constructed drain in the area had been made narrower than the old one, resulting in the overflow during heavy rain.
“The old drain was much wider. The damage everyone is witnessing today is because of poor construction,” locals said, demanding compensation for affected families.
They also sought immediate road repairs and construction of a protection wall to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, the Tehsildar of Bandipora visited the site to assess the damage, while Deputy Commissioner Bandipora said restoration work was underway and teams had been deployed to the affected area.
