Jammu: Heavy rain wreaked havoc in Jammu with flash floods and water logging in the city and adjoining areas causing extensive damage to the properties and collapse of few structures on Thursday.
Heavy downpour put life out of gear in the majority of areas in Jammu city and its outskirts.
Meanwhile, the water level in Chenab river at Akhnoor also crossed the danger mark this afternoon, following incessant rain.
In Kishtwar, incessant rain damaged agricultural land, standing crops, two foot-bridges and water flour-mills.
“The civil administration advised people not to venture close to the water bodies viz., Tawi or Chenab river as the continued heavy rain triggered flash floods and the water level increased,” an official said. However, he held the encroachment upon water bodies by the people responsible for flash floods.
An official told Greater Kashmir that the water level in Chenab river had crossed the danger mark i.e., 36.5 at Akhnoor at 1 pm. However, the water level receded to 34 by the evening.
“We had already issued a general advisory for the general masses not to come close to the Chenab river in view of heavy rain,” he added. He said that the police and civil administration were on alert and continuously monitoring the situation.
NDRF, SDRF personnel were also deployed along Chenab river in Akhnoor for the safety of people, he added.
Meanwhile, the heavy rain triggered flash floods in some of the areas in Jammu and its peripheral areas as the nallahs were flooded. The flood water entered the houses at Talab Tillo, Nanak Nagar, Canal road, Talab Tillo, Rajinder Nagar, Kabir Colony and other areas of Jammu. The administration had to evacuate teachers and students from a school at Udhaywala after it got flooded.
The water level receded in all these areas after the rain stopped.
Earlier, the water level in Tawi river had also increased this afternoon. An old kachcha house in Kanak Mandi of old Jammu city collapsed while another house at Kalka Colony suffered partial damages due to heavy rain. However, there was no loss of life.
The boundary wall belonging to ‘One Chic Mac breeders’ at Gujesinghpura Nagbani (Jammu) was washed away following flash flood this morning at 8:45 am,
The owner of the breeding farm, Tarun Gandotra told Greater Kashmir that the flood water entered the premises of the breeding farm causing loss of the property. The nearby paddy fields also reported losses. “We have repeatedly demanded the construction of a concrete nallah as flash floods during monsoon season cause damage to the surrounding properties and agricultural land,” he added.
KISHTWAR
Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Ashok Kumar Sharma said, “Heavy rain triggered massive flash floods in the nallahs due to which two foot-bridges were washed away in Afti and another village.”
“There was heavy rain due to which some roads were damaged. Heavy downpour also triggered landslides following which we sent our team of officials to verify the damages,” he told Greater Kashmir.
He further said that the blocked roads were being cleared of the debris of the landslides.
An official said that remote areas of Kishtwar district suffered losses of agricultural land, standing crops, water flour mills in the heavy rainfall in the past one week. However, there was no loss of life.
REASI
An official said the water level in Chenab river had increased following the discharge of water from the dam amid the heavy rain in Reasi.
“The rain damaged some kachcha houses in upper reaches of Chasana and its adjoining areas of Reasi district,” said the official and added that there was no loss of life.
The official further informed that the roads from Arnas to Mahore, Mahore to Chasana, Mahore to Malikot and Thanole were closed due to landslides. However, some blocked roads were reopened by this evening.
KATHUA – SAMBA – UDHAMPUR
Jammu – Pathankot highway witnessed water logging at Hatli Morh in Kathua district in which two cars and a school bus were stuck. Later the highway was made functional as JCB machines were used to clear the clogged drainage system and the water level decreased gradually. In Samba district the situation remained normal.
Udhampur district also witnessed heavy rain although there was no confirmed report of any kind of damage. However, the roads in remote areas were blocked due to landslides. Some of the blocked roads were restored for traffic, said an official.