Srinagar, Jun 22 (KNO): A spell of heavy rainfall lasting nearly two hours on Monday brought large parts of Srinagar to a standstill, exposing what residents described as the failure of the city's drainage system, while a 65-year-old woman lost her life after being electrocuted amid the downpour in the downtown area.
The intense rainfall inundated several localities across the city, particularly in Downtown Srinagar, where roads turned into streams, vehicles were stranded in floodwaters, shops were flooded, and residents struggled to navigate through waterlogged streets.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), among the worst-hit areas were Nowpora Safakadal, Sakidafar, Ganderpora Eidgah, Waniyar, Rathpora, Daulatabad Khanyar, Main Chowk Khanyar, Naid Kadal, Zadi Masjid Safakadal, Rajouri Kadal, Firdous Colony Eidgah, Khanyar, Fateh Kadal, Babdemb and several adjoining localities.
Videos that surfaced on social media showed cars and auto-rickshaws partially submerged in water, commuters wading through flooded roads and traffic moving at a snail's pace as rainwater accumulated rapidly across low-lying areas.
The rainfall turned tragic in Naid Kadal, where a woman died after coming into contact with a live electric current.
Officials told KNO that the deceased, identified as Shamima Makhdoomi (65), wife of Ghulam Nabi and a resident of Naid Kadal, received an electric shock after touching an electric pole during the rainfall. She was shifted to a hospital in critical condition, where doctors declared her brought dead.
As residents came to terms with the tragedy, anger mounted across affected localities, with many questioning how a city could be thrown into chaos after only a brief spell of rain.
At Khanyar Chowk, several shopkeepers were seen removing water from their premises and salvaging damaged goods hours after the rain had stopped.
Gulam Mohammad, a shopkeeper, told KNO that water entered his shop within minutes, causing substantial losses. “We watched helplessly as water rushed inside. Goods kept getting damaged while we tried to save whatever we could. This is not the first time. Every year we suffer losses because the drainage system fails whenever it rains,” he said.
Another shopkeeper, Zahoor Ahmad, said the flooding had disrupted business and added to the economic hardships already being faced by small traders. “We pay taxes, electricity bills and other charges, but when it comes to basic civic facilities, nobody takes responsibility. A few hours of rain should not be enough to flood markets and damage businesses,” he said.
Residents said the scenes witnessed across Srinagar reflected years of neglect, poor planning and the failure to upgrade drainage infrastructure despite repeated assurances by successive governments.
A resident of Khanyar said Monday’s rainfall once again exposed the vulnerability of the city’s civic infrastructure. “It was not a cloudburst, and it was not an entire day of rainfall. It rained for barely one to two hours, yet roads disappeared under water. Vehicles got stuck, people could not move freely, and entire localities looked like pools. What more proof is needed that the drainage system has failed?” he asked.
Several residents said the situation was particularly alarming because the city struggled to cope with a relatively short spell of rainfall, raising concerns about its preparedness for more intense weather events in the future.
“If a couple of hours of rain can cripple normal life, authorities must explain how the city is prepared for prolonged rainfall or extreme weather conditions. Every year the same localities suffer, and every year the same promises are made,” said another resident.
The residents urged the Omar Abdullah-led government and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to identify vulnerable zones, modernise drainage infrastructure, improve monitoring mechanisms and ensure accountability of departments responsible for recurring urban flooding.
They said Monday’s downpour once again highlighted the urgent need for long-term solutions, warning that unless concrete measures are taken, Srinagar will continue to witness the same scenes of flooding, disruption and public suffering whenever heavy rainfall occurs—(KNO)