700 vehicles with essentials cleared for Kashmir
900 houses in Kathua, 500 in Doda damaged
Mata Vaishnodevi yatra remains suspended
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 1: While the dead body of an 11-year-old boy, who was washed away in Shadole Nallah in Mahore area of Reasi yesterday along with his mother was recovered this morning, several families from a hamlet in Chowki Chora area of Akhnoor were shifted to safer places after land started sinking, whereas, over 700 trucks with essential commodities and oil/LPG tankers were cleared for Kashmir today.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
More than 900 houses in district Kathua and over 500 in district Doda have been damaged fully/ partially during recent rains and landslides while, Kathua-Basohli-Bani and Kathua- Billawar roads via Lakhanpur-Thein Dam and Mahanpur continue to be blocked since Tuesday. Mahore-Gool and Mahore-Sungri-Chasana-Budhal roads besides several other link roads in Udhampur, Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar could not be restored. Very grim is the power situation in the rural areas of the Jammu region in almost all the ten districts.
Reports from Reasi said that the minor boy was swept away along with his 45-year-old mother, Zulfan Begum, wife of Bashir Ahmed, while crossing the Nallah in Mahore area on Sunday. The boy was identified as Basharat Hussain, son of Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Kansooli, tehsil Mahore, in district Reasi. The dead body of his mother was recovered on Sunday. Boy’s body was recovered this morning about 700 mts down stream.
Meanwhile, several families from Hardu Malada area of Chowki Chora of Akhnoor were shifted to the safer place by the local administration after the land started sinking last night. Reports said more than 100 kanals land is sinking and about 5 ft, it has gone down the ground level.
Local Panch Vicky Sharma and villagers Sham Lal, Kusturi Lal, Jeet Kumar and Diwan Chand, said that they took up the matter with the concerned police and tehsil administration late last evening and some of the families have been shifted to the safer location. Several houses in the area and a link road has been hit with its impact.
Meanwhile, one- way traffic was partially restored on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday evening, providing major relief to hundreds of commuters stranded on the road over the past six days. The highway was blocked by multiple landslides coupled with sinking of road at different places, especially at Tharad Bridge and Balli Nallah in Udhampur district and Maroog in Ramban district on August 27.
A Traffic Police official said that today over 700 stranded trucks/ tankers with essential commodities were cleared for Kashmir from Udhampur/Dhar Road/ and Jammu. After this the fruits laden trucks were also allowed to move towards Jammu and Delhi. He further said that Batote-Doda- Kishtwar and Paddar roads have also been restored but movement of the vehicles has been restricted in some areas in view of the restoration work along the highway.
Meanwhile, amid heavy rain in Katra on Monday, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the seventh consecutive day since a landslide on a yatra route claimed 35 lives last Tuesday.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said it has cancelled all bookings, including helicopters and accommodations, with a 100 per cent refund until the Yatra is resumed.
“Yatra has remained suspended for the past one week. Bad weather conditions still persist, so the decision to continue the suspension of Yatra has been taken keeping in view the safety of pilgrims,” an official said.
Helicopter services from Katra to Bhawan, ropeway rides from Bhawan to Bhairon Ghati, hotel accommodations, and other yatra-related bookings have all been cancelled, official added.
Reasi district is one of the worst-hit areas in the Union Territory due to the current spell of heavy rains. A landslide triggered by a cloudburst struck the route to the shrine at Adhkuwari in the Trikuta hills of the Katra belt last Tuesday, killing 35 pilgrims and injuring more than 30 others.
The yatra was suspended on Tuesday last till further orders. It was followed by the constitution of a high-level three-member inquiry committee by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The Committee will be spearheaded by Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Jal Shakti, J&K, and will also include the Divisional Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police, Jammu.
A Defence spokesman said that bringing a major sigh of relief to thousands of residents in the remote cloudburst- hit Paddar Sub Division of Kishtwar, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) successfully restored traffic movement on the crucial Kishtwar-Gulabgarh road after days of disruption caused by multiple landslides and road breaches.
He said the vital artery, considered the lifeline of the region, had been rendered impassable following four massive landslides and two major formation breaches triggered by incessant rains.
Teams from the 118 Road Construction Company (RCC) of 35 BRTF under Project Sampark swung into action with men and machinery, launching a round-the-clock clearance operation in the treacherous Himalayan terrain. Heavy debris was removed, washed-out portions were repaired and hillsides were stabilized in a race against time to reconnect the cut-off communities.
“Our foremost priority was to reopen this crucial link at the earliest,” a BRO officer said, commending the grit and commitment displayed by the 118 RCC personnel. “Despite hostile terrain and weather-induced challenges, the team worked relentlessly to restore connectivity.”
In district Doda, more than 500 houses have suffered damage due to recent heavy rains, landsldies and flash floods.
“A total of 50 houses have been fully damaged, 100 severely, and 350 residential buildings partially damaged. Fourteen animals have lost their lives, and five human lives were lost,” Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh said.
Singh, who is overseeing the relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit areas of the district, said, “We have credited Rs 4 lakh compensation to each of the affected families.”
He said that the heavy rains that occurred from August 25 to 27 in Doda resulted in major losses and damages.
“The entire administration went from home to home, monitoring and assessing the situation at the grassroots level. Normal life is being brought back on track,” he said.
On the restoration of surface communication, he said that fully damaged roads have been temporarily restored. “The highway, Bhaderwah road, and PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) roads have been restored.”
Asserting that the damage is huge and widespread, the DC said that it will take time to cover these losses. “The funds we receive from time to time, or any package given to us, will be used for permanent restoration,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner, Kathua Rajesh Sharma said that more than 900 houses have been fully or partially damaged in the district during recent rains, landslides, cloudbursts and flash floods. He said out of the total about 25% of the houses have been fully damaged.
Sharma said essential supplies to Bani Sub Division have been restored via Punjab and Hut Muskan road. The major portion of the road damaged near Bhoond is likely to be restored tomorrow. But the road between Basantpur-Thein -Mahanpur and Basohli is the major issue. Even traffic towards Phinter and Billawar from Lakhanpur side could not be restored. The DC said he has spoken to GREF authorities for the restoraton of this road. Moreover, Billawar road has been restored via Dyalachak and Dingamb, he added.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man sustained serious head injuries after his kacha house collapsed during heavy rainfall.
The injured has been identified as Mohammad Fareed, son of Mohammad Azam, a resident of Chowdhary Nar village, Rajouri.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
