Rain-triggered landslides block Jammu-Srinagar highway
The annual Amarnath Yatra was briefly disrupted on Thursday after the closure of the 270-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway after incessant rainfall triggered landslides, mudslides and shooting stones in Ramban.
Senior superintendent of police (traffic, national highway) Shabir Malik said, “The JammuSrinagar national highway (NH-44) remains blocked at Mehar and Cafeteria Morh. We will restore the affected stretches as soon as possible. The Amarnath pilgrims, who had come from Jammu to visit the holy cave shrine were taken to the Yatri Niwas at Chanderkote in Ramban.”
On Thursday morning, the 28th batch comprising 1,602 pilgrims left Jammu for the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas. They left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in a convoy of 55 vehicles, officials said. The 596 pilgrims heading for Baltal in 21 vehicles had a head start, they were followed by a second convoy of 34 vehicles ferrying 1,006 pilgrims for Pahalgam. The number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine have drastically fallen over the past three days due to inclement weather conditions.
Till Wednesday, over 2.33 lakh pilgrims had offered their prayers at the cave shrine, housing a naturally formed ice-shivlingam. The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11. So far, 51 pilgrims have lost their lives en route to the cave shrine. Amid inclement weather, people were advised not to travel on the Jammu -Srinagar national highway without confirming the status from traffic control units in Jammu, Srinagar, Ramban and Jammu.
An advisory was also issued advising people to stay away from water bodies due to the increase in water levels of rivers and rivulets. The water level of most rivers – Chenab, Tawi, Ujh, and Basantar – was above the danger mark. “Rainfall on upper reaches may lead to floods, flashfloods, mudslides, landslides at vulnerable places. People need to remain and & prepared as these events often occur suddenly,” said a meteorological department advisory.
Houses damaged, students trapped in school
Authorities rescued students and teachers trapped in a government school after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods inundating many areas of the Jammu region on Thursday, officials said.
Dozens of houses and structures were damaged, some bridges washed away and scores of vehicles stuck on roads and highways in various districts of the region, they said.
Several people escaped unhurt when an old building collapsed due to heavy rains in the Kanak Mandi area. It triggered protests against the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for its alleged failure to bring down old and unused buildings in the old city causing a threat to life to the residents and shopkeepers, the officials said. A wall of another house collapsed in Kalka colony.
Most of the roads and dozens of colonies in Jammu city were inundated due to heavy rainfall gauged over 80 mm in a few hours.
As per reports, dozens of houses and structures suffered damage due to rains, flash floods and landslides in Jammu, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Reasi districts.
The region recorded heavy rainfall since early Thursday morning.
Power and water supply in parts of the city and other rural areas was affected badly, while water and mud entered many houses and shops.
In Reasi district, a new track to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hills was closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure following heavy rains in the area, they said.
4 rescued in Poonch
On Wednesday night, in a daring rescue operation, the Indian Army in coordination with State Disaster Response Fund and police rescued four persons in Jhulas area of Poonch district. “The Indian army swiftly responded to a critical situation, in which four youth were trapped in Poonch river flash flood due to incessant rains,” said a defence spokesperson said.