When Old Census Reports Saved Srinagar from Floods!

(Kashmir Rechords Exclusive)

Kashmir Valley is one of the most flood hazard-prone Himalayan regions. The valley has witnessed significant flooding during 879 AD, 1841, 1893, 1903, 1929, 1948, 1951, 1957, 1959, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. A threat of floods was looming large  recently even this year also!

Some of the historical records testify the occurrence of 64 flood events in Kashmir from the early seventh century to 1951.

While everyone is aware of the 2014 floods in Kashmir that gravely hampered the societal set up, created panic among people, affected the economy and degraded the environment and ecological balance, there is a very interesting anecdote linked to the Kashmir Foods of 1951 when old census Reports came handy in fighting the floods!

In 1951, early melting of snows, followed by excessive rains, brought about a high flood in the river Jhelum that flows through the middle of Srinagar. The bunds protecting the city were in good shape and all was expected to be well. But as night was falling, a crack appeared near the 100-bed hospital, then housing the Jammu and Kashmir Archives.

A Trick That Worked!

An alert was sounded. All hands were soon on the spot to repair the damage. Unfortunately, sandbags were running short; the bund under great pressure started giving way. It was indeed a critical situation and the evacuation of the population was considered. But just at that moment, an idea occurred to a young engineer—-why not plug the leak with old census reports lying stacked in the State Archives?

This desperate remedy was tried and behold, these massive volumes did the trick. The breach was closed, the floodwaters were beaten back and, for sure, there was a chorus of praise for the census organisation!

There is a mention of this interesting episode in “Jammu and Kashmir—A Portrait of Population’’-— a book written by  Sh J N Zutshi, Director of Census Operations, Jammu and Kashmir in July 1974.

Zutshi says that even those who see the reports of a census from outside the covers only feel instantly awe-struck by their very physical proportions and encyclopaedic look. “The fact that some unsung and unwept Census Superintendent may have burnt his heart out in tabulating and analysing masses of data and presenting them in these bulky volumes is not considered a very relevant point. But the reality is that the same very census reports  saved Srinagar from Floods in 1951!’’