Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 9: Heavy rains and flood in many nallahs in Jammu area wrecked havoc during early hours today as the water entered many city localities and its outskirts, causing extensive damage to the houses, vehicles and other property while Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained blocked due to landslides near Udhampur and Ramban.
River Chenab was flowing near alert mark at Akhnoor during morning while many seasonal nallahs over flooded and caused extensive damage to the public properly. Several link roads and culverts were also damaged due to flood in the nallahs and the vehicular traffic also remained suspended for several hours during morning hours in many area of Akhnoor, Jammu and parts of Samba and Kathua.
The movement of vehicular traffic on Jammu Srinagar National Highway came to halt as landslides took place at several places including Seri, Nashri, Panthal, Battery Chashma area in Ramban. The mud slides near Udhampur and Nowgam and Chareel near Banihal also damaged the highway during early hours today. A large number of vehicles including Shri Amarnath Yatra vehicles remained stranded on the road between Udhampur and Ramban for hours and the traffic could be restored at around 1 pm.
A senior Traffic Police officer told the Excelsior that all the stranded vehicles have been cleared in Ramban and other areas and the traffic on both sides has been restored. He said the boulders at Panthal and Battery Chashma area were cleared after the weather improved in the morning. It took about three to four hours to the men and machinery of the Highway authorities to clear the road and restore traffic. He said immediately after the road clearance, stranded Yatra vehicles were cleared for Pahalgam (Nunwan) and Baltal base camps.
In Jammu city and its outskirts, most of the nallahs encroached upon by the people wrecked havoc as the flood water washed away their walls, houses, shops and parked vehicles in the lanes and compounds. Many vehicles, light vehicles and bikes were washed away. The pucca and beautiful lanes turned into ‘khuds’. Even the beds and other belongings of the people including electronic gadgets/ TVs etc were seen floating in the flood water. They woke up between 3 am to 4 am when the flood fury wrecked havoc.
Extensive damage has been reported from Nanak Nagar, Preet Nagar, Digiana, Bhour Camp, Gadigarh, Channi Rama, Pamposh Colony, Qasim Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Kalika Colony-Bahu Fort, Sunjwan, Transport Nagar, Gorkha Nagar, Jalalabad, Lower Bathindi, Talab Tilloo, Bohri, Purkhu, Mishriwalla, Thathar, Lower Roop Nagar, Ban Talab and parts of Raipur -Domana. In Sector 4 of Nanak Nagar, water entered many houses and beds of other goods of the people got washed away. The people were seen flushing out water from their houses. The wall of Radha Soami Satsang Bhawan near Ban Talab/ Thathar was damaged and a culvert also washed away there. The link roads in Bhalwal block and Amb Gharota of Jammu also got badly damaged. Many vehicles remained trapped. The Deputy Commissioner and several senior officials and political people visited several localities and took stock of situation. Some immediate relief from Red Cross was also provided to some families.
At Patoli Gurha Brahmana, Purkhoo camp near private engineering college water entered a big complex and nearly 150 ft wall got collapsed. The water in the same locality also entered two poultry farms and killed hundreds of birds. The electronic gadgets of the people were also got damaged. Many electric polls were uprooted and transformers damaged. Power supply in several localities has also affected. In Pamposh Colony near Channi Rama extensive damage has been occurred and in Narwal/ Transport Nagar also many vehicles and shops were damaged.
However, no loss of life has been reported. In Purmandal, Rattnuchak and Utterbehni area also the rain and flood caused havoc. The vehicles remained stranded for several hours on the roads in the area and the students and Government employees remained struck for hours together.
A senior Flood Control official said that river Chenab was flowing near alert mark in the morning. About 31 ft water level was recorded in the river at Akhnoor at around 7 am today while 33 ft is the alert level and 35 ft, the danger level in Chenab. Tawi was also flooded in the morning but the maximum water level remained 11.5 ft at around 9 am. 14 ft is the alert mark and 17 ft is the danger level in Tawi. The water level started receding after 10 am and in the evening around 5 pm, hardly 6.5 ft water level was recorded in Tawi.
” Several people of the city, who called up EXCELSIOR stated that encroachment along several nallah and failure of authorities to conduct disilting was main reason for flooding . “The concerned authorities have deliberately ignored these encroachments in the affected areas , they alleged.”
Follow our WhatsApp channel