Traffic suspended on NH, restored
Boy dies, 2 hurt as houses collapse
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 31: Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained suspended for over 11 hours due to massive landslides in Ramban and Udhampur while heavy rain overnight wrecked havoc across the region as Chenab, Tawi and Basantar rivers and many other Nullahs were flowing near danger mark.
The Helicopter service at Katra- Mata Vaishno Devi and the operation of battery car to shrine remained suspended due to bad weather while new Yatra route was closed due to landslides amidst heavy rain during early hours today. At Siarh Baba tourist resort near Reasi, heavy landslides took place today. The waterfall area has been closed for the tourists and locals by the authorities.
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A minor boy Pawan Kumar (8), son of Jeevan Lal was killed and a girl ( Reeta Devi-13), daughter of Bali Ram and her mother Chanchla Devi, residents of Jojra Talab (Batal Ballian), were seriously injured as a house collapsed in Udhampur area this morning while Army rescued about a dozen school going children from flooded Nullah in Mendhar area.
River Chenab at Pul Doda was flowing about three feet above the danger mark, posing threat to the old existing bridge near Doda-Bhaderwah-Kishtwar junction this morning. The authorities sounded alert and also suspended movement of vehicles for some time over the bridge. Several small hamlets said to have submerged in the dam water down stream. Many old abandoned structures at Pul Doda were also submerged in flood water.
Flooded river Tawi with water level of 15 ft was flowing just 2 ft below the danger mark at Jammu city at around 5 am today while the water level in river Chenab at Akhnoor reached 32.5 ft, just near the alert mark (33 ft). 35 ft is the danger mark at Old Akhnoor bridge for Chenab . The movement of traffic was diverted to the new bridge having more height for some time.
Reports from Ramban said that due to heavy rain in Ramban belt during night and early hours today besides subsequent landslides at Panthial, Battery Chashma and Mom Passi, the highway was closed during wee hours today. The highway clearance work was started after the weather improved at round 11 am. A large number of Shri Amarnath Yatra vehicles remained stranded on the highway in Banihal and Qazigund area. The highway was restored at around 4 pm and the stranded vehicles towards Jammu were cleared.
Another major landslides at Moud, near Udhampur blocked this highway during last mid night. It could be cleared at around 2 pm. Hundreds of vehicles on both the sides remained stranded. It also affected the movement of vehicles to Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Chenani, Kud, Patnitop, Sudhmahadev, Latti and Dudu areas.
Udhampur-Pancheri-Landhar road was blocked due to landslides and mud-slides ahead of Kainthgalli. Reasi-Mahore road was blocked due to land slides while traffic on old Reasi-Jyotipuram road was also suspended due to flash flood in nallahs. Thathri- Gandoh Road was blocked due to landslides at Bhangru and Pikul this morning. Ramnagar-Dalsar, Udhampur-Ghordi roads were blocked after landslides at many places.
Reports from Samba said that Basantar river was flowing near danger mark this morning and the flood water caused some damage to fencing near the International Border in Kamour camp area. The agriculture land was also damaged in soil erosion by the river. The flood water entered agriculture fields and caused damage to crop. Several rivers and nullahs in Samba, Jammu, Kathua, Reasi, Udhampur, Dodaand Ramban areas were found flooded today.
A MeT spokesman said that Udhampur recoded 342 mm rainfall Katra 292 mm during past 24 hours, followed by 74 mm in Jammu. He said the day temperature in Jammu was 4.6 notches below season’s average at 29 degrees Celsius while the night temperature settled at 24.4 degrees Celsius. Heavy rain throughout the night and morning hours in Jammu , created havoc. Water entered many city localities and caused damage to public property. The water logging in the city areas affected movement of traffic in many areas. The MeT has predicted heavy rain on Thursday as well.
At Satani in Udhampur, the locals of the area blocked highway and held protest as rain water from drains and lanes entered their houses during morning. They raised slogans against district administration and Municipal authorities. The compound wall of a temple at Mian Bagh and girls school wall at Baryal near Udhampur was also damaged due to rain.
The house of one Rajwanti, wife of Sita Ram resident of Siot in Rajouri and Kacha house of one Ramesh Chander, son of Sunder Singh, resident of Panassa in Reasi were also damaged in rain but no loss of life was reported. Due to rain and lightning three big PDD transformers were damaged in Ramkote and Billawar areas of Kathua. The power supply to about half a dozen villages has been snapped. The power supply to many other areas was affected due to the rain.
Reports from Poonch said that heavy rain created havoc in Mendhar Sub Division this morning again as flooded water from lanes and drains entered residential houses causing extensive damage to the public property.
Heavy rains last night caused floods in several nullahs including Mendhar river. Due to the flood in Chhatral Nullah, the culvert temporarily repaired by R&B Mendhar authorities, was washed away which affected the vehicular movement in the area. Dozens of students and villagers were stranded on either side of the road as there was major flood in Chhatral Nullah.
Soon after the flood water receded, people started moving through the nullah and the vehicles started trans-ship movement on the either side even as link to Sakhi Maidan, Jugal and Chhatral villages remained snapped. The jawans of 37 RR (Army) rescued some students trapped due to fresh flood in Chattral area of Mendhar.
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