Jammu:
Three days of incessant rains have triggered a flood in Jammu as the Tawi and Chenab rivers continue to overflow.
Rescue operations have been on in the city and thousands have been evacuated but even now, many villages remain dangerously close to the overflowing Chenab.
''At present the situation is one of alarm and alert. We are all alerted. We have dispatched some tenets to the people who can be rehabilitated to the hinterland,' Pawan Kotwal, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu.
As water levels in the Chenab River continue to rise steadily, people living in the vicinity of the river are worried. The river has already reached the danger mark and if the situation remains like this then they will have no other choice but to migrate to safer areas.
''This time, the level of water has risen more than ever in the past. I have asked my family members to be ready with essential items. If the situation demands, we are ready to shift,'' said Pritam Singh, resident Makwa Island. His village, in the catchment area of the Chenab, falls in the danger mark.
If the rain stops, the situation could be brought under control. For the moment though, monitoring the situation in Jammu remains a big challenge.