Srinagar: A cloudburst struck the remote Chatroo area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district early on Saturday, damaging several commercial establishments but causing no loss of life, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.
In a post on X, Singh said he spoke with Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma after receiving reports of the incident.
“Just now spoke to DC Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma after receiving the reports of cloudburst in the Chhatroo area early this morning. No loss of life reported. Some commercial outlets/shops are damaged for which due compensation will be provided,” the minister said.
Just now spoke to DC Kishtwar Sh Pankaj Kumar Sharma, after receiving the reports of cloudburst in the Chhatroo area early this morning. No loss of life reported. Some commercial outlets/shops are damaged for which, due compensation will be provided.
To reassure the local…
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) August 1, 2026
He added that the Centre has strengthened disaster preparedness in the region following last year’s Chasoti cloudburst by installing advanced early warning infrastructure.
“To reassure the local residents, it is important to inform that after the experience of the last year’s Chasoti cloudburst, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has installed two latest Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Kishtwar and Machhail respectively,” Singh said.
The Union Minister further said that an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) is also being installed in the Padder area to enhance weather monitoring and improve disaster response.
The latest cloudburst comes weeks after another weather-related disaster in Jammu and Kashmir. On July 19, a cloudburst accompanied by heavy rainfall triggered massive landslides in Rajouri district, severely damaging the Thannamandi–DKG–Bufliaz Road, a strategic Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project connecting the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley.
The intense rainfall caused flash floods that washed away portions of the newly constructed road, culverts and uprooted trees at several locations between Thannamandi and Bufliaz. The road remains closed to traffic, with vehicles currently being diverted via the Bimber Gali (BG) route.
