The famous cave shrine pilgrimages to Amarnath and Vaishno Devi have been paused for the time being, in view of the forecast of inclement weather from July 19 to 23. With heavy rains lashing several parts of the Jammu region, there have been reports of widespread damage to public and private property in Rajouri, Poonch and Kishtwar. Initial reports on Sunday morning mentioned 10 deaths and several missing in these districts.
The border district of Rajouri remains the worst hit after it recorded 103 mm of rainfall in 12 hours. The Reasi district where Salal hydropower project is located showed 106.5 mm of rain in the same period, with Katra getting 85 mm of rain. Udhampur district had a high of 101.6 mm of rain with Poonch recording 77.0 mm and Batote 57.2 mm.
In Rajouri, dozens of vehicles were swept away or submerged after overflowing rivers breached their banks, causing widespread disruption, the officials said. The vehicles had been parked at designated places considered safe on an average day but encroachments, blocked drains and the vehicles themselves became obstacles for rain water which swept them away.
At 10 am on July 19, Sunday morning, rains had halted at some places allowing the administration to launch rescue operations. However, there is unlikely to be any respite for the next few days as the rains, heavy to very heavy, accompanied by cloud bursts, water bodies and streams overflowing their embankments, has been predicted.
In the Kashmir region too, weather may worsen and clear up only on July 23, Thursday evening. According to a weather advisory issued on Saturday evening, from July 19 to 23, the weather will remain generally cloudy with few spells of rain and thundershower at most places. There can be heavy rain, brief intense heavy showers and torrential rain at a few districts of J&K during this period.
Heavy to very heavy rain is likely over Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar. Extremely heavy rain is also possible over Reasi and Udhampur of Jammu division towards late afternoon or evening and late night or morning hours. From July 24 to 27, only brief spells of rain or thundershower are expected at a few places.
The weather advisory talked of possible flash floods, landslides and mudslides at vulnerable places during the wet spell. A significant rise in water level in rivers and sub-basins is also likely, with chances of minor flooding and water logging in low lying areas. The worst devastation was reported from Surankote tehsil in Poonch district, where most of the fatalities occurred, while rescue teams raced against time to trace the missing amid continuing rain and damaged roads, the officials said.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed the situation in the rain and flash flood-hit districts and directed officials to ensure immediate relief and assistance to the affected families.Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in Delhi for the proposed statehood protest, is rushing to Jammu in view of the worsening situation across parts of the division following heavy rains.
A landslide triggered by torrential rains struck a house in Lower Murrah village of Surankote during the early hours of July 19, Sunday, burying all eight occupants under the debris, the officials said. They said rescue teams recovered the bodies of Bano Bi (60) and two-year-old Sofian Yasar, while a search operation was continuing to trace the remaining six missing persons, including a woman and four children.
A landslide triggered by torrential rains struck a house in Lower Murrah village of Surankote during the early hours of Sunday, burying all eight occupants under the debris, the officials said. They said rescue teams recovered the bodies of Bano Bi (60) and two-year-old Sofian Yasar, while a search operation was continuing to trace the remaining six missing persons, including a woman and four children.
A 28-year-old woman, Nazia Kousar, was killed when her house collapsed in Noonabandi village. Her Husband, Mohd Hafiz, and three children, aged between two and six years, were rescued with injuries and shifted to a hospital, officials said. Shahzaib Ahmad (22) lost his life when his house collapsed at Sanglani-Surankote, while a minor girl identified as Iram drowned in a stream at Marhote. An unidentified body of a woman was also fished out from a stream near Dhundak Lathoong bridge, officials said.
One person was killed and another critically injured following collapse of nearly half-a-dozen houses in Haveli tehsil of Poonch district, the officials said. They said body of a woman was also fished out from a river in Rajouri town which was hit by flash floods following incessant overnight rainfall, forcing hundreds of residents to move to safer locations as floodwaters inundated low-lying areas.
The Chenab waters have risen significantly but no loss of life has been reported from anywhere near the river so far. Due to predictions of heavy rain and related developments, the administration had already planned release of water from Salal and Baglihar dams starting July 19. Some days ago, district administrations of Ramban and Reasi had given wide publicity to the release of additional water from these dams.
The release of very large quantities of water from Salal and Baglihar dams will help flush silt and other sediments, carrying them to Akhnoor and beyond to Marala headworks of Pakistan, located near Sialkot. Incidentally, there is no major dam on Chenab in Pakistan and most of it will go down as run-off to the Arabian sea.
Officials said that all gates of the Salal Hydroelectric Project in Reasi have been opened as part of the reservoir flushing process, leading to a significant increase in the discharge and flow of the Chenab River. In the neighbouring Ramban district upstream, the police have issued a public advisory after the opening of the gates of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Project also caused the river’s water level to rise.
Police teams have also been deployed in villages along the Chenab river in Reasi, using public address systems to warn residents against venturing near the river and advising them to keep children and livestock away from its banks. The district administration has cautioned that the water level in the Chenab may rise suddenly due to continued discharge from the dams and appealed to people to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from rivers, streams and other water bodies.
In Ramban, police asked residents to strictly follow official advisories and avoid visiting flood-prone areas in view of the rising river level and the prevailing weather conditions. Meanwhile, district administrations across Kashmir have issued weather advisories urging residents and tourists to exercise caution. This was done after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across the Valley till July 23, with the possibility of flash floods, landslides and waterlogging.
Deputy Commissioners in Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag have issued advisories asking people to avoid unnecessary travel to hilly and landslide-prone areas and stay away from rivers, streams and other water bodies where water levels may rise suddenly.
