NH partially restored, 8 rescued in Doda
*224 houses damaged in Kishtwar, 150 in Rajouri
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 31: Heavy rains lashed parts of Jammu region triggering landslides and flashfloods, two persons were washed away in flooded Nallah in Mahore area of Reasi while eight people were rescued from flash flood of Chenab in Assar area in Doda district today.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was partially restored to clear stranded vehicles with essential commodities for Kashmir this evening while, highway was still closed for the fresh movement of vehicles from Jammu or Srinagar side.
Official sources said that a woman and her 11-year-old son were washed away in flooded Nallah near Kansooli village in Gulabgarh area of Mahore Sub Division in Reasi district this evening.
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Both were crossing Nallah but suddenly water started rising. As the minor son started washing away in the Nallah, she tried to save her but both were washed away in the Nallah. Later, the body of the mother was recovered by the villagers. The boy however, swept away in the strong currents and his body could not be retrieved.
They were identified as Zulfa Bano (41), wife of Bashir Ahmed and her son- Basharat (11). The police and locals have launched search operation for the missing boy’s body.
Reports from Rajouri said that at least seven houses were totally damaged in landslide in Gundi area of Khawas in Budhal Assembly constituency on Saturday afternoon. It was raining heavily in the area and immediate assistance could not be provided to the families.
The people whose houses have been damaged are- Chandia, son of Nizam Din; Zaval Haq, son of Chandia; Mohd Aslam, son of Chandia; Kala, son of Ghulam Hussain; Munir Hussain, son of Bagga; Mohd Altaf, son of Kala and Zaffar, son of Kala, all residents of Gundi in Khawas (Budhal).
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A local social activist from Budhal area Farooq Inqlabi alleged that he contacted concerned Tehsildar and ADC Kandi last evening but no official turned up for immediate help. The affected families took shelter in the nearby houses. The concerned Revenue staff arrived on Sunday, he said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kotranka. Dil Mir, however, said that these families have been provided immediate assistance including ration, plastic sheets and blankets etc through Patwari and Naib Tehsildar concerned. They will also be provided tents. He claimed that three structures of five families were damaged at Gandi village.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma said that after receiving information about the landslide and house collapse incident at Gundi on Saturday, he immediately directed ADC Kotranka to send staff and provide immediate assistance to the affected families and he received back response too from the concerned officials.
He claimed that more than 150 houses have been damaged partially or fully in the district due to recent rains and landslide. Huge loss has been reported from Panjnara village where land is sinking. Over 20 families have been shifted to safer locations from there. He said funds to the tune of over Rs 1.50 crore stands released and disbursed to the affected families in the district.
In Surni village of Ramnagar Tehsil in district Udhampur, five houses collapsed due to landslide. However, no loss of life was reported from there. The affected villagers are- Baldev Raj, Jagpal, Suram Chand, Charan Dass, and Subhash Chander.
Officials said that these families were shifted to safer locations and immediate assistance was provided to them.
A Kucha house of one Bashir Ahmed, son of Abdul Rahim, resident of Dugrun Panchayat in Kahra area of district Doda was totally damaged. The members of this poor family, however, escaped to safety.
Meanwhile, rain lashed today in most areas of Jammu region with few spots receiving heavy to heavy rains. The power supply also remained affected in parts of the region due to rains.
A weatherman stated that in the evening and late night, there is a possibility of rain in parts of Kashmir as well.
“There are chances of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in twin regions,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a night long rescue operation, Jammu and Kashmir Police saved lives of eight men trapped in Chenab river.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, Sandeep Mehta said that a distress call was received at Police Station Assar around midnight regarding eight persons trapped in the middle of river Chenab in Karmail area of Assar.
The individuals were using makeshift wooden raft but got trapped amidst the floating timber. On receiving information, District Police Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) along with SDRF were immediately mobilized to the spot with all necessary rescue equipment. The situation aggravated due to dense fog over Chenab, which reduced visibility. However, with the help of high-powered torches and coordinated guidance, the trapped persons were made to navigate towards the woods and eventually reach the river bank safely, he added.
SSP Mehta said that the rescue operation, which lasted about three hours, was carried out under the immediate supervision of DySP DAR SDRF Adil Rishu, assisted by SHO PS Assar Inspector Rakesh Bandral, the Army also extended vital assistance, while a team from Police Station Batote was also present on the spot.
Due to the prompt and coordinated efforts of Police, SDRF, Army, and local support, all eight individuals were rescued safely without any casualty, he said.
He added that enquiry in this regard is underway to ascertain the circumstances under which the persons got trapped in the Chenab river, adding, “At this stage, it is being verified whether they had entered the river for the purpose of illegally collecting timber in violation of the prohibitory order of the District Magistrate or otherwise.”
The police has appealed to the general public not to indulge in such risky acts, as venturing into Chenab using unsafe rafts or makeshift means can prove fatal and life-threatening.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma said that over 224 houses have been damaged in Marwah and Wadwan areas during recent rains, flash flood and cloudbursts. Moreover, over 45 cattle also got perished in flash floods. The DC said he himself visited Margi village and other areas in Marwah and Warwan Sub-Division, which were severely affected by multiple cloudbursts on August 26. Sharma said he was accompanied by SP Kishtwar, Naresh Singh, SDM Marwah, Dr Mohammad Ashraf, and other officers.
He disclosed that out of the total, around 50 houses are fully damaged, 130-140 severely damaged, while the rest partially affected. He said the debris around flash flood hit houses are being cleared on priority.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Departments have been asked to assess losses of crops and fruit trees so that compensation can be provided to farmers, he added.
Since ration stocks up to November were washed away, Assistant Director FCS&CA Kishtwar has beeb asked to immediately provide one month’s ration to the affected families. Relief material from the Red Cross was also distributed among the people on the spot, he added.
The DC disclosed that 6-7 places in Marwah and Warwan were hit by cloudbursts, which also damaged roads and bridges. The PMGSY Department restored road and bridges connectivity at the affected places.
The heavy rains on August 26, triggered flash floods, cloudburst and landslides across Jammu region thus damaging properties, household items and residential structures.
The fourth bridge on river Tawi in Jammu and one in Samba district also suffered major damages.
The Army laid a bailey bridge in around 12 hours in Bhagwati Nagar area to partially restore traffic.
Meanwhile, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for fresh traffic for the sixth consecutive day today as efforts to make the vital road trafficable were hampered by incessant rains and fresh landslide.
A Traffic department official said no fresh vehicles were allowed either from Jammu or Srinagar this morning due to closure of the highway.
“Traffic was restored partially on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway this evening at around 6.30 pm. Stranded vehicles were being cleared for Kashmir with essential commodities. Broken road stretches in Samroli and Balli Nallah area of Udhampur is the main cause of concern,” the official said.
“On Saturday about 250 vehicles were cleared for Kashmir. Only one way road has been restored. Our priority is to clear trucks with essentials and oil/fuel tankers to Kashmir. After this the traffic towards Jammu will also be released,” he added.
“People are advised not to undertake their journey on the highway till the restoration work is completed and do not pay heed to rumors,” the official said.
Project Manager, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Ramban, Shubam said torrential rains are hampering the efforts to clear the road of the debris.
“A 150-metre landslide at Tharad between Chenani and Udhampur completely blocked one-tube of the highway and is also threatening the second-tube,” he said.
Widespread rains lashed wide parts of Jammu region, including Udhampur since early morning, disrupting normal life.
The officials said the circular road, connecting Gujjar Nagar and Sidhra via Panjtirthi, in Jammu city was closed for traffic following shooting of stones from the hillock overlooking the road, also known as “Thandi Sadak”.
The road is closed due to shooting of stones and landslides at multiple points, a Traffic department official said, advising commuters to follow alternative routes.
Reports said that many roads including Katra-Reasi, Reasi-Darmari-Mahore, Mahore- Gool, Mahore- Gulabgarh and Mahore-Sungri-Chasana-Budhal are closed for the last five days. There is no power supply in these hilly areas since Tuesday and the public is badly suffering while district administration hardly responds to the public or media calls.
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