Hundreds rescued, evacuated in Jammu, Samba, Kathua areas
Jammu-Sgr NH, many other roads closed; over 5000 vehicles stranded
Administration on high alert: Div Com
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 26: At least 13 people including nine Shri Mata Vaishnodevi pilgrims were killed and 14 others injured in landslides, cloudbursts/flash floods and house collapse incidents as continuous heavy rain since last evening in the region triggered severe devastation, causing damage to the three bridges over Tawi in Jammu and Devak at Vijaypur, while mighty Chenab and heavily flooded Tawi rivers were flowing 10 ft above danger level this evening.
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar and Mughal Road besides dozens of other roads have been closed due to multiple land/mudslides. At many places, roads have sunk as rain continued for the last 24 hours and the restoration work could not be carried out. Over 5000 vehicles reported to have been stranded between Jammu and Srinagar at various places besides Dhar Road Udhampur-Manwal stretch and Samba-Mansar Road.
Flooded Tawi river was flowing 17 ft above the danger mark in Jammu this evening while mighty Chenab river surpassed danger mark of 35 ft around 3 pm. The water level went on increasing and reached 44 ft at 6 pm and 49 ft at 11 pm, about 13 ft above danger mark. It broke the record of 2014 today.
Basantar and Devak rivers in Samba and Ujh, Ravi and Tarnah in Kathua were also swollen and flowing about 3 to 6 ft above danger mark. Many seasonal Nallahs in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda were at spate.
A portion of approach road to fourth Tawi bridge towards Ware House side in Jammu was damaged and three to four moving vehicles fell down into the damaged portion, causing minor injuries to the three people. The police and SDRF teams rushed to the site and closed the upper tube of the bridge for vehicles movement. A middle pier of the Devak bridge near AIIMS Vijaypur on Jammu-Pathankote National Highway slightly tilted due to heavy flood in Basantar river during afternoon.
It caused damage to the bridge and the movement of traffic was stalled on the bridge. The vehicles were diverted to second bridge constructed for Expressway but had not been put to use after official inaugural. The old lower bridge has already been abandoned and its some portion dismantled.
Sources said a bridge over Chenab at Drabshalla in Kishtwar was also washed away in flood while another bridge near Ped Devta over Tawi was badly damaged. Second bridge over Sahar Khud in Kathua on which the traffic was restored was again closed for heavy vehicles movement today as fresh flood today further exposed northern embankment of the bridge, causing some damage to the protection work done by the National Highway authorities.
Director Meteorological Department Srinagar, Dr Mukhtar said that rain in Jammu broke the record of past 99 years as today during past 24 hours, Jammu recorded 248 mm rain till 5.30 pm. On August 5, 1926, Jammu had recorded 228.6 mm rainfall. The second highest 218.4 mm rainfall in Jammu was recorded on Aug 23, 1996 in past 99 yrs in Jammu, while 190.4 mm was second highest during past 50 years.
He further disclosed that Katra recorded 190.6 mm rainfall, Reasi 175.5 mm, Samba 148.5 mm, Kathua 104 mm, Udhampur 101 mm Doda 133 mm, Kishtwar 49 mm, Ramban 43 mm and Banihal 50 mm rainfall during last 24 hrs on Tuesday.
The administration evacuated scores of families from dozens of low lying villages along the banks of river Tawi and Chenab in Jammu district today and sounded high alert. The people were provided shelter at safer places.
Dozens of marooned people, students and staff were rescued from Belicharana, Chatha, SKUAST complex, Karnaile Chak, Chuhe Chak, Barjala, Lalyal, Khandwal and Makwal area besides many other hamlets in Tawi Island. Several BSF posts in Makwal area were submerged in Tawi water and the Forcemen shifted themselves to the safer places. Many villagers from Pargwal, Jourian, Khour and Hamirpur Kona area were also evacuated to the safer places as the Chenab was flowing about 10 to 13 ft above danger mark. Scores of houses and structures have been damaged due to flood in these two rivers.
Official sources said that heavy rain led to a landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hills of Katra on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least nine pilgrims and injuring 14.
The pilgrimage to the Holy shrine was suspended when the landslide happened, officials said.
Rescue operation was underway near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari where the landslide hit around 3 pm. The disaster struck at a point about halfway along the winding 12-km trek to the hilltop shrine.
The yatra had been suspended on the Himkoti trek route since morning but had been going on on the old route till 1.30 pm when authorities decided to suspend it till further orders in view of the torrential rain.
A police official at Katra said that seven dead bodies, including six at CHC Katra and one at Narayana hospitals were lying while most of the injured were later shifted to Narayana from CHC Katra.
Reports from Doda said that two persons were killed as two houses collapse and two others in cloud burst and subsequent flash flood in Bhallessa and Bhaderwah areas. Flash flood after cloudburst occurred at Tanta village in which a girl was killed and an elderly woman injured and later rescued. One Noor Mohd was killed in another location in Bhalessa area while a minor girl was killed in house collapse at Thanala village of Bhaderwah. Another woman was killed in house collapse last night in Gandoh area.
Dy Commissioner, Doda Harvinder Singh said that four deaths took place due to rain/ flash flood and house collapse related incidents in the district while 17 houses were also damaged. He said that many people have been evacuated to the safer locations. He said that old Puldoda bridge was closed for traffic due to massive flood in Chenab while all the roads from Batote to Doda and Kishtwar and other link roads were closed.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar said that entire administration has been put on high alert. He said the concerned Deputy Commissioners, SDMs, Tehsildars along with police SDRF/NDRF teams are supervising rescue and evacuation expercvise in their respective areas as the rain and floods during past two days have caused devastation.
The people from the low lying areas of Tawi and Chenab besides Jammu City and other locations have been evacuated and shifted to the safer locations. Kumar said he was in touch with all the DCs of the region and other officers of the JMC, Flood Control, PHE, JPDCL, Health, NHAI, etc. and closely monitoring the situation.
He further disclosed that three casualties due to rain and flash floods related incidents have been reported from Doda district but no such incident has been reported from Jammu, Samba and Kathua where heavy rain and flash floods have been reported.
“Directions were issued to all the District and Sectoral officers to remain alert and do not leave their stations. The movement over Tawi bridge will be restricted after 9 pm tonight as precautionary measures,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Army joined hands with the Civil administration and rescued scores of people trapped at different places in the flood. At least 16 people were rescued from village Amli in Samba, 70 from Makaura , over two dozens from Nud, Gadigarh, Shergarh, SKUAST Chatha, Suhanjana, 11 BSF men from Nikki BOP, Baryal, while 7 peole were airlifted from Kachle village to Taragarh in Gurdaspur.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the banks of several flooded rivers and inundated low-lying areas in Jammu and Samba districts as the region was pounded by heavy rain.
The Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF and local administration have launched massive operations to respond to distress calls.
The National Disaster Response Force deployed boats in the GGM Science College area to rescue stranded students and several families in adjoining areas of Jammu city.
Water from Nullah entered many houses in Old University Campus Road along Canal Road causing damage.
Reports said 25-30 low-lying localities and several areas in Jammu and Samba have been inundated by flash floods triggered by heavy rain.
Most of the people were rescued from Peerkho, Gujjar Nagar, R S Pura, Nikki Tawi, Gurkhanagar, Qasim Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, and banks of the swollen Tawi river in Jammu district.
The administration kept getting distress calls at its control centre seeking evacuation assistance.Gujjars and their cattle heads were shifted to safer areas along river banks after some of their huts and animals were washed away.
Meanwhile, District Administration Ramban has put all frontline departments, rescue agencies on high alert to deal with any emergency situation as River Chenab is flowing above the danger mark, while several Nallas and streams are also witnessing a sharp rise in water level across the district.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, along with SSP Arun Gupta, ADC Varunjeet Singh Charak and other senior officers, is personally monitoring the situation and ongoing rescue operations on the ground.
As a precautionary measure, residents from low-lying and vulnerable areas including Karol, Maitra, Kowbag, Seri and adjoining villages are being shifted to safer locations. The District Administration has also established shelters to accommodate the affected families and ensure their safety.
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall has further increased the risk of flooding. The District Administration has advised people to remain vigilant and avoid going near the River Chenab, Nallas and other water bodies.
Authorities in Jammu imposed restrictions on the movement of people during night hours as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident amid heavy rainfall, an official order said on Tuesday.
District Magistrate, Jammu, Rakesh Minhas issued the order under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).”In view of the incessant rains, weather alerts and prevailing circumstances, it has become necessary to restrict movement during the night hours to prevent any untoward incidents,” Minhas said.
He ordered restriction on night movement by any individual from 8 pm on Tuesday to 8 am of Wednesday without any valid reasons or prior permission from the competent authority, except those involved with the essential services.
In Udhampur, a stream Gouri Kund Devak in Chenani tehsil witnessed sudden surge in water level leading to flooding and damage to road. Authorities asked locals to stay indoors till rain stops.
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