Srinagar/Chandigarh, Aug. 29 -- The flood threat in Kashmir eased on Thursday, with the water levels in the Jhelum river and other water bodies starting to recede as the weather even as while the Punjab government described the flood situation in the state as serious with the Indian Army deploying its all-terrain vehicles to rescue those stranded in inundated villages across the northern state. Officials in Kashmir said there has been very little rainfall was recorded in the Valley in the past 12 hours leading to water level in the Jhelum river dropping on Thursday. Though it is still above the danger level downstream in Srinagar, the water level has started receding, they added. The tributaries of the river were also flowing below the flood alert level. Punjab minister Aman Arora described the flood situation in the state as "serious", and said that the state government is working with utmost urgency to mitigate the impact of the heavy rain and flooding. Arora attributed the flooding to cloudbursts in hilly areas, stating that a preliminary assessment is underway. The situation in Fazilka has led to several villages, including a Border Security Force (BSF) post, getting inundated due to the rising water levels on Thursday. The Sutlej River's water level is rising, causing floodwaters to inundate nearby villages. The Indian Army deployed its all-terrain vehicle, ATOR N1200 Specialist Mobility Vehicle (SMV) to rescue people in the flood-affected areas of Punjab's Amritsar district on Thursday. RELATED REPORT ON PAGE 2...