Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 10: Indian Air Force helicopters airlifted 28 BSF personnel when they were trapped in the flood of river Basantar during early hours today while rain and cloudburst created havoc in Chhatral area of Mendhar and washed away tents, bunkers and other belongings of nearly 250 jawans of a Rashtriya Rifles Company (Eco Coy of RR) located in Poonch, whereas rain and landslides blocked Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for about six hours today.
Reports from Samba said that heavy rain caused massive flood in Basantar and Devak rivers. Like last year, the partially repaired portion of the river bund near Rangoor Camp got breached and the flood water spread into the entire border belt. The water entered into the fields and houses of the people and also two border posts of the BSF got marooned. It happened at around 4 am and the jawans carrying their guns, ammunition and some belongings/ beds etc mounted on the roof top of the buildings and bunkers. Some of them climbed on the trees to save themselves from the midnight flood fury.
One of the villagers at Rangoor, Jeevan Singh told the Excelsior that water level in the fields was about 4 to 5 feet and even more at several places. Near the BSF posts, the water level was high. Several cattle also were washed away in the flood. He said this has happened again this year because the Flood Control Department did not properly repair the breached bund and again the bund got breached at the same place as nearly 100 to 150 ft portion of the bund got breached and the river water spread in nearly 3-4 sq km of area. Standing crops of the farmers were badly damaged. Some fencing on International Border also got damaged. The belongings of the BSF jawans and their ammunition etc also got washed away.
A Defence spokesman said that senior BSF officials from Frontier headquarters, Paloura requisitioned helicopter service to evacuate the trapped jawans. Entire area had been marooned in the flood water. So, the MI Helicopter team from Jammu airbase led by Wing Commander Anup Sharma took the two sorties and evacuated 28 trapped BSF jawans besides some villagers. He said the belongings of the jawans, their beds, clothes, shoes, ration and ammunition also got damaged in the flood. The vehicles were also marooned in the flood. This area falls in Ramgarh sub- sector of Samba.
Unfortunately, for the last three years, this bund is breaching and people are suffering but the State Government has failed to take measures to raise concrete bund. Last year also, the BSF posts had marooned and their ammunition, ration and other belongings had marooned but the Defence authorities did not take any lesson. The standing crop on the hundreds of kanals of land at Rangoor Camp and Kamore Camp got marooned and damaged in the flood water.
A large number of farmers later came out at Vijaypur and blocked National Highway for over two and half hours. They were raising slogans against the I&FC Department and State Government. The villagers were demanding compensation for the crops damaged in the flood. They alleged that for the last three years, nearly 200 mt portion of the bund is breaching at the same place.
The District Administration Samba and Flood Control Department is well aware of it but the Government and Administration is sleeping over the matter. The farmers and other villagers of the area are suffering. They said nearly 300 families of Barote, Rangoor, Kajyal, Kamore, Chak Paras, Jagatpur, Govindgarh Nanga Majra have been affected with this flood. The flood water entered their houses and also damaged their goods, ration and other belongings. About a dozen cattle also got washed away and their vehicles, tractors and bikes were damaged.
Later, DC Samba Sheetal Nanda and SSP Joginder Singh reached there and they assured the people to take up their issue at higher level and also provide compensation. Later, the people lifted dharna at around 2.30 pm. A large number of vehicles remained stranded on the NH for long and big traffic jam was created on the highway.
In Chhatral (Kalaban) area of Mendhar in district Poonch, the rain and flood wrecked havoc for Army and about half a dozen villages, whose bunkers/ barracks and houses got washed away in cloud burst during mid night. The incident took place at around 2 am. It was heavily raining. Some jawans on night duty noticed flood water approaching towards tents and bunkers and raised alarm. The Eco Company Commander Major P P Singh ordered the jawans to rush to the safer places with guns and ammunition, leaving behind other belongings at first instance. The soldiers alerted all the sleeping jawans in the barracks and bunkers and also all of them managed to flee to the safer zone. About half a dozen houses in the nearby also got washed away and some sheep and goats were also perished in the flood.
Commanding officer of the Unit Col Satinder Singh, SDPO Mendhar and SHO along with some jawans also reached the site after some time. The villagers of the area also came forward to render help to the soldiers. Their boxes, clothes/ uniforms, shoes, ration, documents and other personal belongings were washed away. The villagers joined them in search operation in the morning besides police jawans. The infrastructure raised by Army for Youth Club at Chhatral was also extensively damaged in the cloud burst. The villagers whose houses were damaged are Abdul Khaliq, Mehmood Ahmed, Mohd Khaliq and Raja Nassar Ahmed. A water mill also got damaged in the cloudburst.
Reports from Ramban said that due to rain and landslides at Nashri, Peerah, Nihad, Seri, Gangroo and Panthial, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained blocked for over six hours today. Thousands of vehicles including Shri Amarnath yatris remained stranded on the highway. Massive traffic jam was created between Chenani-Kud and Patnitop. The mud slides at several places also affected the movement of traffic. The highway was restored at around 1 pm and the traffic restored. About 1500 vehicles stranded on that side of the Banihal and Tunnel were also cleared in the evening.
In Jammu city also the overnight rain caused damage to the property and houses of the people. The water again entered many localities in Digiana, Gangyal, Qasim Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Chhani Rama, Nanak Nagar and some other colonies and damaged the property. The flood was also witnessed in Tawi and Chenab but it was below alert mark.
Reports from Srinagar said that overnight cloudburst in border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir triggered flash floods damaging several residential houses.
The cloudburst affected the Muqam-e-Shah Wali, Bumhama and Lalpora areas of the district. Locals said the flash floods inundated their localities while as the mud water entered their houses causing damage to property.
The flash floods triggered by the cloudburst also damaged the crops, trees and other plantation in the affected areas. The panic-stricken residents immediately started to dewater their houses.
Locals said the flash floods also affected the traffic movement along Srinagar-Kupwara highway due to accumulation of stones and mud water at Bumhama. Besides, the roads in interior localities were also blocked due to inundation.
Meanwhile, police along with civil administration toured the affected areas and took stock of the situation.
In another incident, two houses were washed away after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in south Kashmir’s Kokernag area of Anantnag district.
The water also entered a local mosque while as a trout fish hatchery and Kokernag Botanical garden also suffered damage.
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