Artificial lake burst triggers flash floods in Kargil

The people, however, reacted promptly and moved towards the safer places before the flash floods.

Reports said that  least six bridges were washed away in  flash floods. As a precautionary measure, the residents of scores of hamlets including Padum moved to safer places as the water level in Phuktal river has been showing a rising trend. 

Pertinently, Zanskar Valley was under flood  threat because one of the tributaries of the Zanskar River had been blocked by a massive 200 ft high landslide, equal to height of a 20-storey building. 

The landslide dam between Shaday Sumdo and MarShun had created a lake that is about 8 km long, whose size was increasing every day.

“In Padum Zanskar all the culverts and bridges located at  different palces including Ichar, Padum, Tipting, Chah and Pipcha were washed away due to flash floods,” official told IBNS.

“The water level in the river has been increasing thick and fast and the gushing waters are passing through Zangla-Nimbo road that connects Zanskar with Leh," he added 

However  officials in Kargil told IBNS on phone that there is no flood threat to the areas like Padum as the water level has started decreasing. He confirmed that several bridges and culverts have been washed away due to speedy waters. 

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Kargil said that the bursting of artificial lake on river Phuktal caused flash floods. He said that the flood caused damage to the infrastructure and some six bridges have been washed away.

He further said that National Disaster Management Authority teams had visited the areas and also surveyed the glacier. 

“The army on the instruction of NDMA had even had created a small channel in the river to flush out the water. So far the water was flowing slowly, but, today it breached, causing flash floods,’’ said he.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)