Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 6: At least two persons were killed in flash flood and house-collapse incidents and seven others injured in Billawar and Poonch areas while flood water washed away a vital bridge in Mendhar and a long protection bund got breached as floods created devastation in at least four villages in border area of district Kathua today.
Reports said that constant rain in many areas of the region created havoc and paralysed normal life today. The flooded nallah and rivers also disrupted movement of traffic and caused damage to the public property and standing crops. It also caused land erosion.
The flood water in Sherpur nallah on old Samba-Kathua road caused extensive damage to the road as its nearly 70 meter portion got washed away after the main protection bund near a long culvert was broken due to flood waters. The road communication to many villages in this entire border belt up to Marheen in Hiranagar has been snapped.
The flood water entered Sherpur-I and Sherpur-II Panchayats, Prithi Chak and Nanke Chak near the border. It caused extensive damage to the crops and public property leading to several protests. Later, some officers from the district administration including those from R&B and Flood Control Department visited the area. Many vehicles had been trapped on this road due to flood even up to 6 pm.
The grains of the farmers worth lakhs were also damaged in the flood water. In some houses, the water level was 3 to 4 feet. It was alleged by the village Panchayat members that due to sub-standard work on the bund and wrong alignment for providing benefits to influential persons, this bund had breached causing maximum damage. They demanded inquiry into the incident.
A report from Billawar said that a 13-year-old boy was buried alive while three other members of the family were injured after their `kutcha’ house collapsed at village Katooba during rain today. The incident took place when some boulders hit the house leading to land slides. Some of the family members ran to safety while these four got trapped. The deceased was identified as minor Mohd Akhtar, son of Mohd Farid. His body was later removed from the debris.
The other injured including 71-year-old Khatoon Bibi, wife of Abdul Ghani, 12 -year-old Mohd Sharief and another child were later removed to hospital in Kathua. The administration provided immediate relief to the family.
Due to rain and land slides the Basohli-Bani road remained blocked for several hours today. However, GREF authorities cleared the road and restored traffic after four hours. Dayala Chak-Billawar road was also blocked due to land slides near Dabi and Thein area this morning. It was also cleared by the authorities in the afternoon. The flood in Babbar nallah also disrupted movement of traffic on Ghagwal-Rajpura and Hiranagar border belt. At least three persons trapped in Fallain Mandal area of Tawi were rescued by locals and police by using ropes today. They had gone to fetch sand from the river.
Reports from Rajouri said that a woman was washed away in a nallah in Chhaja Baglka area of Thannamandi today. The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Razia Begum, Pappi Garoosi, resident of Mangota. The woman went across the nallah to bring her cattle while the 10-year-old daughter was waiting on the other side of the bank. Suddenly flash flood washed away the woman when she was crossing. Her three cattle were also washed away.
Later, the villagers and police party led by SHO Thannamandi Shaheen Mirza started search along the nallah but her body could not be traced till late this evening.
The rain and flood in several nallahs and rivers also caused massive damage in Mendhar and Surankote areas of Poonch today. While a bridge on Harni-Nad road was washed away due to massive flood in Harni nallah during the day, the road link to several villages in the area has been snapped with this. The bridge was nearly 50 mt long and its entire portion including some approach road has also been washed away. This nallah also caused extensive damage to the crop fields in the low lying areas of Mendhar.
The water from rain and flooded drains and some small nallahs entered many houses in lower Surankote area and caused extensive damage to the public property today. The rain was heavy and it flooded the main market as well. The water also entered many shops. The people held protest against the local Municipal Committee authorities. Later, SDM Mendhar and DC Poonch also visited the town and talked to the affected families. The SDM said that in some houses there was 3-4 feet water and property of many people has been damaged. Nearly 100 houses said to have suffered damage in the area.
Four members of a family were injured in a house collapse near Jarha Wali Gali in Gursai area of Mendhar today. The trapped people raised alarm and the people and some policemen on Buddha Amarnath yatra duty rushed and rescued them. All the four were rushed to Rajouri hospital and condition of one of them was said to be serious. They were identified as Mohd Aslam, son of Nizam din, Mohd Farid, son of Mohd Aslam, Sajjad Ahmed son of Mohd Aslam and Mehmood, son of Sain resident of Samooti Nad. Condition of Sajjad was said to be serious and he was referred to Jammu.
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