Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday directed all departments concerned to remain on high alert amid heavy rains that lashed wide parts of the Union Territory.
He has also advised people to remain cautious amid a weather forecast predicting moderate to intense rainfall with the possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in high altitude areas till August 27.
In a post on X, the office of the chief minister said Abdullah has directed all departments to remain on high alert, as heavy rains have caused waterlogging in several residential areas, with rivers and nallahs flowing above the danger mark.
“Control rooms are active, and the CM Office is in touch with departments. Priority is being given to drainage in affected areas and restoration of essential services like water supply and power. People are advised to remain cautious,” the chief minister said.
Heavy rains battered most parts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight, triggering a flood-like situation in several low-lying areas and causing damage to a vital bridge on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, officials said.
The winter capital, Jammu, recorded 190.4 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am, the second-highest downpour this month in a century. The highest rainfall for August remains 228.6 mm, logged on August 5, 1926, while the previous second-highest was 189.6 mm on August 11, 2022.
Authorities have already issued advisories and asked people to stay away from water bodies and landslide-prone areas amid a weather forecast predicting moderate to intense rainfall with the possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in high altitude areas till August 27.
An official of the traffic department said the strategic 250-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway and 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway is open for traffic despite heavy rains, while the Mughal road connecting Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu with south Kashmir’s Shopian and Sinthan road linking Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu with south Kashmir’s Anantnag were closed owing to landslides at different places.
A bridge near Logate Morh on the Jammu-Pathankot highway was damaged in the middle due to overflowing of the Sahar Khad nallah following heavy rains in Kathua district, the officials said, adding that the traffic on the highway was diverted through the alternate bridge.
Normal life was disrupted in Jammu city because of the heavy downpour, which led to overflowing of streams and drains, leading to inundation of roads and flood waters entering homes at several places, including Janipur, Roop Nagar, Talab Tilloo, Jewel Chowk, New Plot, and Sanjay Nagar.
Boundary walls of several houses were also damaged, while nearly a dozen vehicles were swept away in the flash floods, the officials said.
Officials said water levels in major rivers and streams, including the Basantar in Samba, the Ujh and Ravi in Kathua, the Chenab in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and Jammu, and the Tawi in Udhampur and Jammu, rose sharply, prompting the administration to put disaster response teams and local police on alert.
So far, there have been no immediate reports of casualties, but the rains have triggered landslides at several places in Rajouri and Poonch in the Jammu region and Gurez in north Kashmir, the officials said.
In the Jammu region, Udhampur recorded the second highest 144.2 mm of rainfall followed by Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, at 115 mm, and Samba (109.0 mm) and Kathua (90.2 mm).
The summer capital Srinagar recorded 13.5 mm of rainfall, the officials said.
