Schools in Jammu shut till Aug 30; Flood threat eases in Kashmir
Jammu, Aug 28: A multiple agency operation has been underway in Jammu and Samba to rescue and rehabilitate the people whose properties were devastated in the floods, with death toll rising to 45 as bodies of four more people who were swept away in flash floods in the region, being found on Thursday.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for traffic for the third consecutive day on Thursday due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains in the Udhampur-Ramban belt, while the government ordered the closure of all schools in the Jammu region till August 30, even as the Legislative Assembly suspended all its committee meetings till September 5 in view of the inclement weather.
All this transpired even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his government would seek answers from the administration to understand what flood mitigation measures were taken in Jammu and Kashmir after the 2014 deluge.
A record rainfall in the Jammu region in the past two days has thrown life out of gear in Jammu region, while causing the deaths of 45 people, most of them in a landslide on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route.
However, on Wednesday, a let-up in showers allowed relief operations to pick pace even as water level in major rivers, such as Tawi, Chenab, Basantar, Ravi, and Ujh, has receded.
“Operations to rescue and rehabilitate people, reconnect villages, and assess damages are underway across the region,” an official said.
According to officials, four bodies were recovered from flooded water channels in Jammu.
One body was pulled out of the Tawi River in Nagrota on Wednesday evening. The victim had reportedly drowned at Chak Rakwala. Another body of an elderly man was retrieved from a nallah in Marh. A body was recovered from waters near the border fencing in the Karkhola area of R S Pura, while another was found in the Teli Basti area of Bari Brahmana.
Men and machinery have been hard at work in low-lying areas to clear debris, mud, and stranded vehicles. Dozens of roads remain blocked due to several landslides.
Reports suggest that connectivity to nearly 50 villages has been disrupted, while more than 12,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas so far.
Extensive damage has been reported to public infrastructure, bridges, houses, and commercial establishments.
Northern Railways, which had cancelled 58 trains to and from Jammu and Katra on Wednesday, arranged special trains to ferry over 2,000 stranded passengers from Jammu.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for traffic for the third consecutive day on Thursday due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains in the Udhampur-Ramban belt, officials said.
Due to the closure of the highway, over 500 to 600 vehicles are stranded at various places en route.
The 270-km-long stretch, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by multiple landslides at several places between Jakheni and Chenani in Udhampur, they said.
“Highway is closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni in Udhampur towards Srinagar due to damage at several places between Jakheni and Chenani. No vehicular movement shall be allowed from Nagrota in Jammu towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Srinagar,” a traffic police official said.
He said commuters belonging to Katra and Udhampur towns are requested to keep their photo ID cards to prove their identity so that their movement can be facilitated smoothly.
The men and machines of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are working to clear the highway of blockades, which occurred on Tuesday following heavy rains and flash floods, they said.
According to the traffic advisory, the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag highway is closed for vehicular movement. It said subject to fair weather and good road condition, and after getting a green signal from the BRO, traffic movement shall be allowed in a regulated manner on the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari road.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government would seek answers from the administration to understand what flood mitigation measures were taken in Jammu and Kashmir after the 2014 deluge.
“There were heavy rains in both Jammu as well as in Kashmir. God saved us. Had the rainfall continued for a day or more, we would have faced immense difficulties. But the water has started receding. It recedes faster in Jammu and takes some time here in Kashmir.
“We are out of danger, but I will have to sit with the officers and understand what we have done after 2014,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.
He said just two days of rain brought Kashmir to the brink of floods.
“What will happen if it rains for four days? We will face a situation like 2014. We had then (2014) endured it (rainfall) for seven days and drowned on the eighth day. But now, we endured two days of rains with difficulty,” he said.
Abdullah said the government needs to take corrective measures as people cannot live in the fear of floods every year.
“After some days, I will sit with the officers and try to understand what we did after 2014. Where was the money spent? How much carrying capacity of the flood channel was increased? How much did we succeed in increasing the carrying capacity by undertaking dredging in the Jhelum?
“We have to take corrective measures wherever we are lagging…,” he said.
Meanwhile, 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 improved.
In the past 12 hours, there has been very little rainfall in the Kashmir Valley, officials here said.
Due to the let-up in the rain, the Jhelum dropped below the flood alert level at Sangam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, they said.
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.
According to the officials, water has also started receding in the areas that were inundated on Wednesday. However, monitoring by various departments continues and teams are on alert.
The meteorological department said the weather in the valley has been mostly dry during the day so far, but a brief spell of rain is likely at a few places towards late afternoon and late night.
A spell of light to moderate rain at scattered to fairly widespread places with a possibility of moderate to heavy rain or thundershowers in a few districts of Jammu is likely from August 30 to September 1, it said.
From September 2 to 6, a brief spell of rain or thundershowers is expected at a few places, it added.
Addressing a press conference, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg said while the situation is under control and there is no need to panic, the coming fortnight will be crucial.
“The water levels are receding, the levels at Sangam and Ram Munshibagh are receding and the weather forecast is similar for the next couple of days,” he said.
“If there is a rain forecast, our teams will work round the clock. I also hope we will continue to get the same cooperation from the people which we have got so far,” he said.
Garg appealed to people to stay alert and follow the advisories issued by the administration and the meteorological department.
“People living near streams and tributaries need to stay alert as the next 10-15 days are important. Our district disaster management teams will be on the ground to monitor the situation round the clock,” he said.
“The district emergency control rooms and the union territory-level emergency control room will continue to work round the clock so that people can reach out to the administration,” he added.
Garg said while these are short-term measures for the next 15-20 days till the weather improves and the monsoon system recedes, there is a need for taking long-term measures.
He invited suggestions from people on medium and long-term measures needed to be taken to address any such eventuality in the coming years.
“We have directions to work on the long-term measures as well,” he said.
The divisional commissioner lauded the departments for their good work.
“We have been able to learn from the past challenges and take measures accordingly,” he said.
The waters reached a 10-year high at Sangam and Ram Munshibagh, but there was no loss, Garg said.
“This also tells you about the good restoration works undertaken. There may be challenges, but I assure you that they will be examined and action will be taken,” he said.
Asked about the disruptions in mobile connectivity, Garg said there was extensive damage to optical fibre cables in Jammu, but teams are working on restoration.
Hopefully, full restoration will take place in the next few hours, he said.
