Srinagar, Aug. 28 -- The gushing sound of water drowned the usual bustle of the neighbourhood at the old Raj Bagh bund.

As the muddy waters rose dangerously close to its Jhelum embankment, shopkeepers hurriedly packed their goods onto higher shelves. Some stuffed sacks of rice, flour, and clothes into small vans, fearing the worst.

"This is exactly how it began in 2014. The water came silently, and by the time we understood, everything was underwater," said Bashir Ahmad Dar, a garment trader.

Across the low-lying areas, anxious families stood on terraces, scanning the darkening clouds that had been pouring relentlessly over Srinagar since Monday evening.

The memories of September 2014-the catastrophe that submerged large parts of the ...