Udhampur, August 01: Several houses in Trilla Village of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir were severely damaged following heavy torrential rains that lashed the region.
Sharda Devi, a resident of the village, shared her ordeal after her house completely collapsed.
She said, “Our house has completely collapsed. Now, where will we keep our children? The place where we kept our belongings also has cracks. First, one wall fell, then another.”
Pawan Kumar, Sharda Devi’s son, whose house was reduced to rubble, urged the government to provide urgent relief.
“My house collapsed due to heavy rain. Please help us as much as you can and provide us with a place to live. We demand that the government give us accommodation, and until then, tents should be arranged for us,” he told ANI.
He added that the damage was not limited to his family alone. “Because of the heavy rain, 3-4 more houses also fell in our village,” he said, highlighting the scale of destruction caused by the ongoing monsoon in the hilly district.
Meanwhile, all the spillway gates of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district have been opened following heavy rainfall. The district authorities issued warnings to the general public not to go near the riverbank.
“I received an advisory note from the engineering and mechanical division of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, stating that they will open their gates. They asked us to issue an advisory in this regard,” Addl Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Varunjeet Singh Charak told ANI.
He added, “We have issued an advisory to the general public not to go near the tributaries or the riverbank, as it could be dangerous.”
The Additional District Magistrate of Ramban has issued an advisory directing all relevant Revenue, Police, SDRF, and Rural Development Department officers to coordinate closely and jointly monitor the situation along the Chenab River banks.
To prevent accidents, local authorities–including Lamberdars, Chowkidars, GRS, and VLWs–have been instructed to advise residents to avoid movement near the riverbanks, including people, livestock, rafts, and vehicles.
NHPC officials reported that persistent heavy rainfall has raised water levels in the Chenab River. As a precautionary measure, all spillways of the Baglihar Dam have been opened to release excess water.
The Meteorological Centre in Srinagar issued a fresh weather advisory on Thursday, warning residents of Jammu and Kashmir about potential flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones in vulnerable areas over the coming days.
According to the forecast, from August 1 to 3, the weather is predicted to remain mostly hot and humid, with isolated rain or thundershower activity in a few places. Between August 4 and 6, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely across many areas of Jammu and Kashmir, with the possibility of heavy downpours in certain locations of Jammu Division, particularly during late night and early morning hours.
