JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Heavy rains, floods and landslides continued to wreak havoc across J&K on Thursday, even as the central govt deputed an inter-ministerial team for on-ground assessment of the devastation caused by the rain fury in Jammu division. Landslides left five injured at a power project site in Kishtwar district, caused breaches in the Jhelum River’s embankment that triggered flooding in some parts of Kashmir, forced the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and other key link roads to remain closed for traffic, and made the railways suspend the Jammu-Katra shuttle train service on the second day, too.
Amid the continuing disruptions, the inter-ministerial team will visit the affected areas over the next four days to assess the actual scale of losses and damages, and will subsequently submit a detailed report. The team, led by Col Kirti Pratap Singh, joint secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, comprises officials from Union ministries of finance, road transport and highways, power, rural development, agriculture and jal shakti.
The central team held a meeting on Wednesday night, where Jammu divisional commissioner Ramesh Kumar made a detailed presentation explaining the extent of damage to private property and public infrastructure, a govt spokesperson said. Kumar also briefed them about the efforts being made to save precious lives and restore the damaged infrastructure, such as power and water supplies.
A landslide hit temporary hutments at the site of Rattle Power Project in Dhrabshala area of Kishtwar, prompting the administration to act swiftly and rescue five people on Thursday. All five were injured and were receiving medical treatment and “every other required assistance”, Union minister Jitendra Singh said in a post on X.
Traffic department officials said the Srinagar NH, Mughal Road (an alternative road to Kashmir) and Kishtwar-Sinthan road were closed due to landslides, mudslides and shooting stones at several places. Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch and Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highways are also closed due to landslides.
The Jammu-Katra shuttle train service introduced to facilitate the movement of locals and stranded passengers also remained suspended for the second day, as floods and landslides had blocked the portal of tunnel no 16 on the track between Ramnagar and Manwal in Jammu-Udhampur section.
In Kashmir Valley, the Jhelum breached its embankment at two places in Budgam, inundating vast stretches of farmland and forcing thousands of villagers to leave their homes late Wednesday. A govt spokesman said the breaches triggered flooding in several low-lying areas of Srinagar, Budgam and Pulwama districts.
CM Omar Abdullah, who visited the affected areas, said “those who have ruled J&K over the past 11 years must be held accountable”, even as he appealed to the Centre to dispatch a team to the Valley to assess the situation and provide relief and rehabilitation to the affected families.
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