The waters of the Jhelum started receding from Friday morning, easing fears of a flood in south and central Kashmir, PTI reported. On Thursday, the river had crossed the “flood declaration” mark at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar, forcing authorities to set up emergency control rooms.

The waters first started receding at Sangam in Anantnag district around 3 am on Friday. While the water level at Ram Munshi Bagh is still increasing marginally, it is expected to come down in a couple of hours. Water levels in the Jhelum’s tributaries, such as Veishov, Rambiara and Lidder, have also receded substantially in the past six hours, the agency quoted government officials as saying.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday morning and offered her support on dealing with the floods.