Flood alerts issued in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir issued flood alerts on Monday, asking people to move to safer places after heavy rains triggered increased water level in rivers.

"According the Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, river Jhelum has crossed the danger marks of 18 ft and 22 ft at Ram Munshibagh and Sangam respectively at 7:00 a.m. local time due to incessant rains overnight," a government spokesman said. " Accordingly a flood has been declared and people living in low lying areas, especially in and around Jhelum have been advised to move to safer areas."

According to the spokesman, local government has put rescuers and machinery into service to help the people affected by the floods.

Floods have submerged parts of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Officials said inter district roads leading to Srinagar have been cut off and the main Srinagar -Jammu highway has been closed due to landslides triggered by heavy rains.

A senior minister in the local government Naeem Akhtar told the region's law-making body they have spoken to India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and their team would soon be in the region.

The heavy rainfall in Indian-controlled Kashmir has damaged houses, forcing authorities to evacuate at least 237 families.

The Meteorological Department officials have predicted rainfall and snow in the upcoming six days.

The government has ordered closure of all schools for two days in the wake of flood alerts and postponed all University and Board level examinations.

Indian-controlled Kashmir is reeling under devastation and destruction wreaked by last year's floods. The floods inflicted an estimated loss of 16 billion U.S. dollars in the region and killed 300 people. Endi