Srinagar: Even as moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday brought relief from the scorching heat, cloudbursts in different parts across Jammu and Kashmir triggered flash floods causing damage to residential houses and crops.
Director Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus said that as expected very heavy showers occurred at many places of Jammu and moderate showers in Kashmir on Monday. He said weather was likely to remain “overcast to cloudy on Tuesday”.
“Present showers may generate flash floods and landslides in hilly areas which may lead to road blockade,” said Lotus.
The MeT office forecast has said that “widespread to moderate rain and thundershowers was likely in J&K during next 24 hours”.
Ganderbal
Meanwhile, a cloudburst in Chuntwaliwar area of Lar in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in the wee hours on Monday triggered flash floods causing damage to several residential houses and roads. The irrigation and drainage system in the area has also been affected.
The cloudburst occurred in the upper reaches of Chuntwaliwar area of Lar in Ganderbal district causing flash floods in several areas of Chuntwaliwar, Watlar and Anderwan.
Locals said several residential houses, inner link roads, irrigation, water supply and drainage system were damaged by the flash floods. However, there was no report of any loss of life.
Locals said that due to the cloudburst flow of water increased in Charnari Nallah, which caused damage to nearby residential areas as water entered several residential houses.
An official told Greater Kashmir that the rescue teams were immediately pressed into service to restore road connectivity to the area.
He said SDRF, police and R&B teams were on job to restore the connectivity.
Tehsildar Lar, Majid Chaudhary told Greater Kashmir that they have sent teams to the area to ascertain the details of damage caused by flash floods.
He said that there was no major damage. “The roads, irrigation and drainage system got affected, and teams are on job to restore essential services.” He, however, said that the situation was under control as of now, while there was no loss of life reported in the incident.
Jammu, Samba:
As many as nine families were evacuated from Kalka Colony of Jammu City after their houses were partially damaged by the flash flood triggered by heavy rains.
The flash floods wreak havoc across Jammu city damaging houses, boundary walls, uprooting roads, a bridge and submerging police post Government Primary Health Centre, a tube well in low-lying areas at Gadi Garh falling in Satwari area.
“In a major rescue operation in Jammu City, around 9 families were shifted to the safer place (Rain-Basera) by the administration when their houses were flooded with water following heavy rains at Kalka Colony,” said Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Anshul Garg.
He said that the water logging happened at Janipur, Domana, Gadi Garh, Kalika Colony, Bhagwati Nagar, New Plot, Amphalla, and other places in Jammu City.
However, the water level receded as the intensity of downpour dropped. “The Flood Control Department had already regulated water level in the Ranbir Canal last night, while the water level in Tawi River and Chenab River was below the danger mark,” the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu said, adding that there is nothing to panic.
He said that they have established control rooms to monitor the situation.
As the heavy rains triggered flash flood, water-logging took place in many of the residential colonies in Jammu City including Green Belt Park, Gandhi Nagar, several sectors of Nanak Nagar, Dogra Chowk, Canal Road, Trikuta Nagar, Ambedker Nagar, Diagana, Roop Nagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Gangyal, Krishna Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, Kabir Colony, Talab Tillo, Shakti Nagar, Puran Nagar, and other localities.
The roads turned into “mini-rivers” with the intensity of the heavy downpour and the muddy water entered into many residential houses in low-lying areas of Jammu City.
Some areas in Satwari were almost submerged. “Compound of Gadi Garh police post, newly constructed Govt Primary Health Centre and a tube-well also submerged in flash-flood, a bridge and a boundary wall damaged at Gadi Garh,” the locals said. However, the water level receded later.
An official said that Mahore-Chasana road was blocked due to a landslide, but it was cleared and the traffic was restored.
Kathua
At least 15 nomads including women and children were rescued by the SDRF teams from the flooded Ujh river in Kathua, eyewitnesses said. “Their buffaloes however were hit by the flash floods.” the locals added.
The district administration in Kathua and Samba has sounded a flood alert.
Traffic movement was disrupted on the Pathankot-Jammu highway due to heavy flooding, they said, adding that a truck overturned on the carriageway near Kathua.
The Ujh, Basantar and the Eik nallahs were in spate in Kathua and Samba, triggering fear in the population living near these water bodies, the officials said.
Areas around the check dam Dhalote in Samba are inundated, they said, adding that locals have appealed to the authorities to open the flood gates of the dam.
“In some of the areas, the water level had increased in low-lying areas and Ujh and Tarna rivers had also crossed danger level. However, there was no damage to life,” said the Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Rahul Yadav.
Some people were rescued from the Ghati area by the SDRF.
“10 buffalos were also struck in the flash flood, but the water has started receding at Chabe-Chak. At least 2 kacha houses were also damaged,” he said.
He said that the standing crops have also been damaged in flood plain areas (state-land) of Kathua district due to heavy rains. “We have already constituted district teams to monitor the situation in different locations and they have been provided wireless sets,” the Deputy Commissioner, Kathua added.
Udhampur
Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Indu Kanwal Chib told Greater Kashmir that there was no report of flash flood in the district. “An Emergency Operation Centre exists in the district since 2017 and they report in a day. Their responsibility is to monitor the situation and ensure timely replacement of the damaged transformers if any,” the DC Udhampur added.
Doda
Torrential rains since early Monday morning triggered flash floods at several areas in district Doda in which a vehicle got damaged. The flash floods hit Kastigarh, Machipal area of Gandoh and Kahara areas in the district due to which Kastigarh-Doda, Thathri-Gandoh and Kahara-Hallaran roads got closed.
Meanwhile, the district administration in an advisory said: “Due to heavy rains in district Doda today, which are expected to continue for two more days, there are chances of flood and damage to roads, etc. Therefore, the public of district Doda is advised not to venture out and avoid travel by road.”
The advisory cautioned the public not to go near electric poles, wires, transformers, rivers, nallahs and slide prone areas. “Beside, try to keep your mobiles charged and inform tehsil, sub division or district administration immediately in case of any emergency,” it said.
The administration issued emergency numbers 01996233337 (District Control Room) and 01996233530 (PCR Doda) for the public.
(With inputs from Irfan Raina in Ganderbal, Syed Amjad Shah in Jammu and Tahir Nadeem Khan Yusafzai in Bhadarwah)