At least seven people were killed and five others were injured in two separate incidents of cloudburst and landslide triggered by heavy overnight rains in Kathua district of J&K early August 17, according to officials. Several houses and cow sheds were damaged in torrential rains but the full extent of damage is not clear as the rescue teams are working on different locations. There were some reports of many houses in low lying areas of Kathua town also getting inundated as nallahs were flooded due to sudden heavy precipitation.
The Metrological Department has forecast heavy rains, landslides and possibility of cloudbursts in some areas of J&K over the next few days. In view of these forecasts, Director School Education Jammu has ordered closure of all government and private schools from August 18.
The tragedies struck Jodh Ghati village of Rajbagh located next to Ujh, a tributary of Ravi River, which usually gets heavily flooded during rainy season. In the Janglote area near the Kathua town, there was a cloudburst and several houses were flooded. Roads connecting several villages got cut off after being submerged in three to four feet of water, cutting off access to parts of the district and damaging several houses.
According to officials, five people lost their lives in Jodh Ghati when a cloudburst hit the village, while two more died in a landslide at Janglote. A joint rescue operation by police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local volunteers is continuing, and five injured persons have been shifted to hospital. Some of the injured have been shifted to a hospital in Pathankot town of neighbouring Punjab.
Landslides were also reported in Bagard, Changda, and Dilwan-Hutli villages, though no major damage was recorded. The heavy rains have swollen most water bodies, with the Ujh river flowing close to the danger mark. The Metrology Department has warned the residents in most parts of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir to avoid getting near water bodies, seasonal nallahs and avoid all unnecessary travel.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed grief and concern for the lives and properties affected by the cloudbursts in Kathua. He has also announced release of ex gratia assistance for the victims from the CM’s Relief Fund. The ex gratia will be paid to the next of kin at the rate of Rs 2 lakh or each deceased, Rs 1 lakh for those severely injured and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries. Ex gratia payment or Rs 1 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 50,000 for severely damaged and Rs 25,000 for partially damaged houses.
He had made announcement regarding ex gratia for victims in Kishtwar on Saturday at the same scale.
District Development Commissioner Rajesh Sharma rushed to the affected sites along with senior officers to oversee relief and rescue operations. Expressing grief, CM Omar extended condolences to the bereaved families and directed officials to ensure immediate relief and evacuation measures. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Union Minister in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, who is the MP from Kathua-Udhampur Lok Sabha segment, said the civil administration, Army, and paramilitary forces have joined hands in rescue and relief efforts. “Spoke to SSP Kathua Sh. Shobhit Saxena after receiving information about a cloudburst in Janglote,” Dr Singh wrote on X.
The district administration has appealed to people to stay away from water bodies as precautionary measures continue in the rain-hit areas.
On Saturday, CM Omar was at Chishoti in Kishtwar district where cloudburst had caused massive damage a day earlier. Politicians from different parties are visiting the affected areas and the visits of VIPs has sometimes disrupted the ongoing relief works. A couple of youth volunteers from the local areas expressed resentment over these “cosmetic visits’’. Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, IG Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti and Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Ramesh Kumar have also visited Chishoti area to apprise themselves of the ongoing relief works.
Keywords: J&K, Kathua, 7 dead, CM Omar Abdullah.
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