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Two people died and scores more were marooned as rain continued to batter Jammu province Wednesday.
A woman and her daughter died when their house collapsed in Rajouri district’s Kangri village near Subderbani.
According to officials of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police, rescuers are trying to evacuate people stranded in Akhnoor’s Garkhal, Pargwal and Khiur villages as Chenab continued to flow at 43.5 feet — 1.5 ft above the evacuation level. About 40 people are reportedly stranded in Garkhal.
However, officials said water in Chenab and Tawi rivers is decreasing. Tawi is currently flowing at 13 ft – 4 ft less than the danger mark.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway is among 11 roads closed in Jammu following landslides and mudslides triggered by heavy rains, leaving over 2,000 vehicles stranded.
The men and machines of multiple clearance organisations are battling heavy rains and flash floods to clear the highways and roads in the region to make them trafficable.
Other important roads such the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway, Simthan-Anantnag road and Mughal Road are also closed for traffic.
“The Jammu-Srinagar highway, Mughal Road, Sonamarg-Srinagar-Gumari Road, and Sinthan road are closed for vehicular movement due to landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones at several places,” J-K traffic police said.
They advised people not to undertake journeys on these roads until the weather improves and restoration work is completed.
“No vehicular movement will be allowed from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar as a stretch of land on the upper side of the road has sunk at Thard, Udhampur, besides landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones at multiple places on the highway,” an officer said.
Vehicular movement will also not be allowed from Nagrota (Jammu) towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Srinagar and vice-versa.
“Commuters belonging to Katra and Udhampur town are requested to keep their photo ID cards to prove their identity so that their movement can be facilitated smoothly,” an official said.
Over 2,000 vehicles are stranded at various places due to the closure of the highway, they said.
The Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway is closed since Tuesday night at Chowki Choura near Kandi tunnel, they said.
Over 300 vehicles are stranded due to the damaged road surface, they added.
Efforts are on to restore the highway to reconnect Rajouri and Poonch besides facilitating the movement of essential services, they said.
The Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway is also closed following landslides in the Pul Doda area, resulting in stranding of several vehicles, they said.
Similarly, the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag highway is closed for vehicular movement, they said, adding Mughal Road has also been shut.
Besides this, nine inter-district roads in Kathua, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Reasi are shut due to landslides and falling boulders, they said. PTI AB DV
Reasi recorded the highest rainfall of 203 mm, followed by Katra town (193 mm), Batote (157.3 mm), Dida (114 mm), Banihal (95 mm), Jammu (81 mm), Rajouri’s (57.4 mm) and Kishtwar’s (50 mm).
The authorities are maintaining alert in view of Meteorological Department forecast of heavy to very heavy rains at many places across Jammu province during next 14-16 hours Wednesday.
–With inputs from PTI
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