Army rescues 4 persons in Poonch, schools shut in Ramban; students safely moved out in Muthi-Udheywalla areas
STATE TIMES NEWS
Banihal/Jammu: Even as the strategic 270-kilometres Jammu-Srinagar national highway was blocked on Thursday due to mudslides and shooting stones in Ramban district early Wednesday, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded, the authorities rescued students and teachers trapped in a government school after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods inundating many areas in the outskirts of the Jammu City, officials said.
Dozens of houses and structures were damaged, some bridges washed away and scores of vehicles stuck on roads and highways in various districts of the region, they said.
Iron tunnel on J&K highway gets damaged
BANIHAL/JAMMU: An important iron tunnel passage at a stretch of the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was damaged due to heavy shooting stones Thursday evening, even as the highway continued to remain shut due to inclement weather in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, officials said.
“Fresh incident of shooting stones on the highway at Pantiyal has caused damage to the important passage of an iron tunnel set up in the most vulnerable stretch of the strategic 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway,” an official said.
“People are advised not to travel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway without confirmation,” an advisory by the traffic police said.
A big boulder rolled down a hill and hit an electric transformer, which was loaded on a truck near Jaiswal bridge in Karool area of Ramban this evening, they said, adding that the transformer fell into the Chenab river.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed for traffic in the morning due to landslides and shooting stones in Ramban district.
In Jammu, police and locals swung into action and rescued students and teachers trapped in a school building due to flash floods in the Muthi-Udhaywala area, the officials said.
Several people escaped unhurt when an old building collapsed due to heavy rains in the Kanak Mandi area. It triggered protests against the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for its alleged failure to bring down old and unused buildings in the old city causing a threat to life to the residents and shopkeepers, the officials said.
A wall of another house collapsed in Kalka colony.
Most of the roads and dozens of colonies in Jammu city were inundated due to heavy rainfall gauged over 80 mm in a few hours.
As per reports, dozens of houses and structures suffered damage due to rains, flash floods and landslides in Jammu, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Reasi districts.
The region recorded heavy rainfall since early Thursday morning.
Worst-affected areas in Jammu due to the rainfall and subsequent flash floods were Keran, lower Roopnagar, Kangrail, Raipur, Kot-Bhalwal, Burn and Ghrota, Paloura, Takab Tillo, Channi Himmat and other low-lying areas where the rainwater entered houses, the officials said.
Power and water supply in parts of the city and other rural areas was affected badly, while water and mud entered many houses and shops in Old Janipur, Bhawani Nagar, Naseeb Nagar, Shant Nagar, Paloura, Lower Roop Nagar, Muthi, they said.
The residents of Vasuki Vihar, behind Army Quarters Rajouri Lines Lower Muthi (Ward-67) Jammu faced a lot of discomforts due to flash floods caused due to heavy rains on Thursday.
In statement issued today, Vinod Pandita a socio/political leader has expressed concern on the continuous discomfort, caused to residents due to heavy rains. He further said that is due to casual and negligent approach of concerned department towards a Nallah, flowing through the area. Pandita has appealed to UT administration to take cognizance of such a serious public issue and direct the concerned department to immediately clean this Nallah beside maintaining it properly.
Meanwhile, residents of Lane-7 of Surya Vihar Bohri also stated that their centre drain needs to be got cleaned by Safaikaramcharie at the earliest. A flash flood or an untimely rain is reason enough to expose worst situation, as it is completely blocked and water flows out. The residents urged Mayor, Jammu Municipal Corporation to look into the matter besides doing the needful.
The water level of most of the rivers like Chinab, Tawi, Ujh, Basantar and other nallahs was running above the danger mark. Authorities issued advisories urging people to stay away from rivers, the officials said.
Dozens of vehicles were trapped on a highway in Kathua.
In Kishtwar, a foot-bridge was washed away in the Afti area, the officials said.
In Reasi district, a new track to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hills was closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure following heavy rains in the area, they said.
As per the advisory, those residing in slide-prone areas should remain extra vigilant and report any untoward incident to the administration at the earliest.
According to reports, four persons were trapped in flash floods in Poonch district, prompting the Army to launch a rescue operation, Jammu-based PRO defence said.
Four persons were trapped in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Poonch river last night and information reached the army unit in Jhulas, he said.
The Army swiftly responded to a critical situation and in coordination with SDRF and police rescued four precious lives at Jhulas, the PRO said.
Meanwhile, the debris struck the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country at Mehaar, Cafeteria Moore and Pantiyal areas, thereby blocking the highway, officials said.
“People are advised not to travel on Jammu-Srinagar highway without confirmation”, a traffic police advisory said.
The convoy of Amarnath yatra which was on its way from Jammu to Kashmir was halted at Chanderkoot Yatra Niwas due to the highway blockade, they said.
