Srinagar Flood: Part-I

Images, Words and Questions… Didn’t wanted to make alive the inert memories of a murky chapter of 2014, but the images and words still persist in some corner of mind to come out as I couldn’t write and share them at that time...

The year which has gone shouldn't be remembered because of the hurdles it implanted in a waving way, but some happenings are difficult to erase from the memory. One such event still persist in memory which occurred exactly four months before is the Srinagar Flood. Though the city has overcomed largely now, by concealing the scars flood has left on its skin. Still the flashy pictures of ‘Sailab’ (as the word is pronounced more in Kashmir instead of flood) lingers in mental veins. For me it was first ever incident when eyes saw the life on its verge opening up multifarious scenes. Some scenes among them are still the nightmares, some were the signs that humanity exists! And some stood as questions to etiquette.

It was September 2014, I was still new to the place, Srinagar, Kashmir, the paradise! I hadn’t explored it till that time, instead I was juxtaposing it only to my previous posting place Andhra Pradesh (Telangana now). The competitive world of Andhra was replaced to demulcent Kashmir. Andhra too was stagnant and serene in its appearance but inside there was something instigating. Contrastingly Kashmir looked convivial due to bustling tourism, and dreary due to terrorism but above both of its outer faces, I found Kashmir cool! The bone-dry Chinar trees in autumn, the scattered reddish-yellow leaves around them (makes me remember Maple leaves), galloping Sumos and Military vehicles on roads, the big beautiful eyes peeking through their vesture, the unpredictable weather and the Army-men deputed at every road and turn. It’s a mixed picture of ease, fain, and faze but I was experiencing the place grip-free despite of its varied facets.  

Who knew then that there is another fated facet was to confront, which was its ruinous face. It was 4th September, 2014, I went to school like any other day which locates in Shivpora near to Badami Bagh Cantt, Batwara. Just after reaching there, I and everyone around got to know that river Jhelum is flowing above danger mark and Pantha Chowk side has inundated, as it was raining incessantly for last four days. Parents were calling or either coming to school to send/take their kids back to their homes. In few hours we the staff members only were left in the school. We could see the Jhelum’s flow from one of the classroom of first floor of the building. The next day 5th September was Teacher’s Day, which declared holiday by chairman due to weather conditions. Ceaseless heavy raining had made the streets of Indra Nagar (near to Shivpora where I live) not less than flowing river and 6th September was also became a holiday as it wasn’t possible to come out in such weather. Everyone was trying to buy necessary food items, vegetables and medicines etc. to store as it could be difficult to go outside to buy these on daily basis, but none predicted the devastating flood even until 6th September night. That night I slept like every day thinking to get up early in the morning hoping that rain perhaps stop by next morning and I might go for my job.

Indra Nagar (Srinagar) through my window
in the evening of 6th September 2014

Indra Nagar (Srinagar) through my window 
in the morning of 7th September 2014

But at around 01:00 O’clock (7th September), the vociferating voices of my neighbors who lives in ground floored apartments/rooms begun to disrupt my sleep. Soon as I completely came out of sleep, their voices became more precise to me. Now they were flicking through the door of my apartment (as thankfully I lives at third floor) while shouting ‘Pani aa gaya.. Pani aa gaya…’ As I opened up the door I came to know that Jhelum bund (an embankment) had been broken and water was entering in the Srinagar city swiftly. Till that time the water had already been drowned the ground floors and was expected to raise its level. Electricity had been gone already and everyone was in rush to gather their important/necessary belongings i.e. documents, valuables, food items and cloths etc. in any possible way. I had only little battery left in my phone which was at least enough to inform the family members about the current conditions of Srinagar. Thankfully mobile network cooperated for a while and that was the last in that week when somebody from home (Delhi) heard my voice over phone. It was just that my uncle suggested me not to tremble and insured me to send a rescue team from Jammu at my Srinagar address.

Army-Men helping their Colleagues to get down from tower they had climbed upon, when suddenly water level was increased

Water level on 7th September 2014 as Street Lights were about to submerge

Eyes glancing through the windows & Balconies who possessed nothing apart of Hope for Life

The ascending water level inside my building, A door at first floor was visible to an extent whereas ground floor was completely drowned

It was a view from my another sided window, it was a five-storied Hotel building where people living around in one or two-storied houses took shelter

The zoomed pictures of around the Hotel

Nevertheless, I didn’t had any clue of what was happened, what was happening and what was going to happen. While everyone was busy in gathering goods and making phone calls I was now opening up all the windows and looking all around outside astonishingly. Humans were questing to higher places and animals were hopping for shelter either on some tree branches or on floating woods/objects. Rain had been stopped till now but wide sky was seeming wild. It was supposed to swallow the earth, us. It was blue-gray and clean but wasn’t cheerful. Sobbing voices of ‘bachao.. bachao’ were coming from distant horizon, breaking the taciturnity for a while and disappearing suddenly somewhere. Humans and living beings drink water to survive but that day water was drinking us, them and to everything that exist, that filthy, profane water! 

Rest in the Next (Blogpost)