Vaishno Devi Yatra remains suspended
No major weather activity till Sept 13: MeT
Govind Sharma
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Sept 8: Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained out of bounds for traffic for the seventh consecutive day today, as intermittent rainfall slowed restoration work at the washed-out Thard stretch in Udhampur. The prolonged closure has stranded thousands of vehicles across the region, while the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta Hills continued to remain suspended for the 14th straight day. Adding to the woes, several houses in Jammu’s Surinsar village have developed cracks, prompting evacuation of one unsafe dwelling.
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Tehsildar Jammu Khaas, Param Deep Singh, confirmed that 7-8 houses in Surinsar had suffered cracks. “We visited the affected hamlet today and directed local field staff to monitor the situation closely. One of the houses located in the danger zone has already been vacated,” he said.
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Meanwhile, land subsidence in Kheri village of Bhalwal tehsil has damaged multiple houses. Tehsildar Jammu North, Aman Kumar Anand, who led a team to the spot, said six more families were shifted to safer places today and provided with dry ration. Nineteen cases have already been approved for financial assistance, while further assessments are underway. Road connectivity too has suffered, with the Raipur-Nagrota road reduced to a narrow unsafe strip, cutting off 3-4 villages to four-wheelers.
The biggest disruption, however, remained on the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the lifeline to Kashmir, which has been closed since August 26 after torrential rains and flash floods washed away a 250-metre stretch at Thard. Although traffic was briefly restored on August 30, subsequent landslides again forced a shutdown.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said the stretch had to be rebuilt completely. “Crews today blasted six large rocks and excavated three more, but progress was hampered by fresh showers. Reopening is expected late tonight if weather permits,” an official said.
A traffic advisory confirmed that no movement was allowed between Jakheni and Bali Nallah, with restrictions also imposed at Nagrota. Over 4,000 vehicles remained stranded at Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Punjab and in the Valley. Truckers carrying essential supplies are among the worst hit, though the army and local volunteers have been distributing rations and food to ease their plight.
While the Mughal Road linking Poonch with Shopian is open, other inter-district routes including the Katra-Reasi road are still blocked. The suspension of the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra entered its 14th day, as access roads remain unsafe and weather conditions unstable.
In Kathua district, where nearly 1,200 houses were damaged due to rains and floods, Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Sharma today supervised a relief camp at Ghatti. He said over 500 families have already received financial assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), with relief operations continuing. Machinery has also been deployed to clear debris from damaged properties, alongside efforts to restore road, power and water supply.
Cut off for several days due to floods, Chilla village in Kathua district received vital relief as Army drones delivered 300 kilograms of food supplies and medicines to the affected families on Monday. “Relentless rains and flash floods had ravaged Kathua district, submerging villages and cutting off lifelines. In areas such as Diluan, Manjali, Parala, Jamalpur and Bijjat, families remained marooned, facing uncertainty and hardship,” the Defence PRO said.
The PRO said that around 200 households, comprising approximately 650 men, women and children, were provided food, clean drinking water, medicines and other relief material. “Special care was taken to provide chocolates and other essential items for children,” he said.
The Army’s JCBs worked round-the-clock over two days, clearing debris-laden roads and submerged terrain to carve pathways for relief operations, he said, adding that these efforts enabled essential supplies to reach the affected areas where road connectivity was disrupted.
Meanwhile, very light rain with isolated thunderstorms was reported across J&K today. No major weather activity is expected in Jammu and Kashmir till September 13, the Meteorological Department here said today.
Director MeT Station Srinagar Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told Excelsior that weather has started improving after intermittent rains were witnessed earlier. “Rains were recorded yesterday as well as today but there was no major rainfall. As of now, the weather is cloudy, with light showers reported in south and north Kashmir as well as in Srinagar. Jammu is also experiencing cloudy conditions,” he said.
Ahmad added that no major rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours. “From tomorrow, the weather will improve till the evening of September 12, when hot and humid conditions are likely,” he said.
Early on September 13 morning, he said, there is a chance of a spell in Jammu division with light rain at some places and moderate thundershower activity at a few places. “In Kashmir, light rains are likely during the morning and forenoon hours. Overall, no major spell is expected till September 13,” he said.
The MeT department also advised that farming and harvesting activities can be resumed from tomorrow. The advisory issued by the MeT cautioned about the possibility of landslides and shooting stones at vulnerable places, asking people to stay away from water bodies, river embankments and loose structures.
Farmers have been advised to resume harvesting of paddy and other farm operations from September 9 onwards.
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