An army jawan with a bag retrieved from a home in Rajbagh
It is virtually a tale of two cities. A fortnight after raging floods, most parts of Srinagar are recovering with massive relief and rehabilitation efforts underway. But, in contrast, the worst-hit areas of Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar and Gogji Bagh have turned into ghost towns with a deathly silence engulfing them. The houses are mostly abandoned and some have even given way under the weight of the water.
In these towns, the paramilitary personnel have their own worries, including staying in creaky buildings to guard arms and ammunition. There have been reports of looting of houses. Guarding homes with valuables that families have left in the hurry to escape are often the only reason to stay.
A Sikh man was on the Indian Army boat the NDTV team was travelling on. He is returning to retrieve a bag from his house in Rajbagh. 'Rani ma ka bag de do (Please give Rani ma's bag)', he shouts out to two domestic helps who have stayed to look after the house. A man soon appears with the bag. An Army jawan then climbs on top of a narrow boundary wall that has embedded glass that would have deterred thieves before the floods. He reaches up, takes the bag, balances himself, straps it on to his shoulders and then makes the walk back. As we leave, the Sikh gentleman shouts out to the helps that he will try and be back in a couple of days.
The silence is deafening as the NDTV team passes by abandoned houses and reaches what would have been a bustling market. The water is so high that only the shop signboards can be seen. From goods and stocks to financial records, everything has been washed away by the raging Jhelum.
"I have lost everything," said Deepak Kumar, who had a shop in Rajbagh. "The home we lived in has collapsed and with it, our lives have collapsed."
Even when the water recedes, areas like Rajbagh and Jawahar Nagar will stand and fall as testimony to the devastation after Jammu and Kashmir's worst flood in a century.