Jammu, Aug 24: Shattering decades’ records, torrential rains on Sunday pounded Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts, causing widespread damage to vital infrastructure, including a crucial bridge on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and public-private properties.
Swollen water bodies flooded the localities and made many roads disappear. Oozing nullahs and seasonal streams found their direct way to houses and other structures in flooded lanes and by-lanes.
Tawi, Ranbir Canal in Jammu; Basantar in Samba and Ujh, Ravi in Kathua were in real fury.
Though the scale of devastation due to heavy rains was extensive, the only consolation was that there were no reports of casualties so far.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jammu Rakesh Minhas, while responding to Greater Kashmir queries, stated, “Yes, there was damage to roads and other infrastructure at several places. Thankfully, there was no loss of human lives.”
Among major damages to vital infrastructure was the collapse of a crucial bridge on Logate Morh due to flooding of the Sahar Khad nullah in Kathua district, badly disrupting the traffic on this important stretch of Jammu Pathankot National Highway.
Later, the authorities diverted the traffic to an alternate route.
In Jammu district, Jammu city, which recorded the highest single-day rainfall in the last 99 years, and its outskirts saw scary scenes with several localities inundated in several feet of water, leading to the crumbling of several structures.
Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Jammu hostel complex.
“State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), along with Jammu and Kashmir Police had to press boats to evacuate around 45 students after the ground floor was inundated by the overflowing canal. All the students have been shifted to a safe place,” Director IIIM Zabeer Ahmed told media persons after the rescue operation, which lasted over five hours.
Waterlogging in low-lying areas of Jammu disrupted normal life while several roads caved in, including the road adjoining the temple on the Tawi bridge. A bridge connecting the Bus Stand to B C Road also suffered extensive damage.
Rain-induced landslides also blocked Samba-Mansar-Udhampur and Jammu-Nagrota roads.
Severe damage to public infrastructure, homes, and essential services left residents in deep distress.
“The calamity resulted in waterlogging, road collapses, and damage to household property, with electricity and water supply disrupted in many localities,” MLA Jammu North Sham Sharma stated while taking stock of localities affected.
He said that most affected areas included Kalika Nagar (Ward 61), Laxmi Vihar Tomal (Ward 61), Kullian Mohalla Nai Basti Lower Muthi (Ward 67), Sharika Vihar Lower Roop Nagar (Ward 66), Lower Shivalikapuram Janipur Colony (Ward 37), Daily Excelsior Lane Old Janipur (Ward 36), Upper Roop Nagar – Chandi Basti near JDA Club (Ward 62), and Dream City (Ward 65).
Low-lying areas in Janipur, Roop Nagar, Talab Tilloo, Jewel Chowk and Sanjay Nagar were inundated, with boundary walls collapsing and vehicles swept away.
In the Jammu outskirts, K N Filling Station and Kabir Colony, Ban Talab, witnessed three to four feet of water inside the houses and people could be seen dewatering manually in vain attempts to save their belongings.
At many places, SDRF teams were engaged in rescue efforts. Parts of Lower Muthi and Shiv Vihar were submerged under eight to nine feet of water. People ran to safety to save their lives as the adjoining nullah’s gushing water entered their houses, causing extensive damage to the houses.
Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Commissioner, Devansh Yadav, while speaking to the media, stated that the dewatering of flooded areas and clearance of mud were being done on priority to restore normalcy.
“Jammu witnessed heavy rains since 4 am, causing large-scale damage in several areas. JMC teams have been on the ground since morning. Teams have been deployed across the city to speed up relief and sanitation measures. Particularly in Janipur, Roop Nagar, and Muthi, many roads also caved in. We are using machines for dewatering at different places and we are working in tandem with the district administration on a war footing,” he said.
Appealing to the people to stay away from rivers and nullahs, he stated that the Ranbir canal was also overflowing, which led to alarming water levels in several nullahs, causing damage to public and private properties.
“We will not rest till dewatering work is completed. We have shared helpline numbers as well. People can call us wherever JCB or dewatering machines are required. Since the scale of rains shattered several decades’ records, it will take some time to assess the exact damage. Once it is done, we will take up the matter with the government,” Yadav said.
In the Samba district, several areas witnessed flooding. Water entered several localities, Mananu, Ward Number 13, and Chak Manga Rakhwal areas were among the severely affected, as houses were inundated in several feet of muddy water, damaging properties worth lakhs.
In Kathua district, later during the day, on the directions of DGP Nalin Parbhat, IGP Jammu Zone Bhim Sen Tuti, Shiv Kumar Sharma, and DIG Jammu Samba Kathua Range conducted a joint inspection, review, planning and restoration of traffic on the National Highway, disrupted due to the collapse of Logate Morh Bridge.
SSP Kathua Shobit Saxena; SSP Traffic Rural Girdhari Lal, and Commandant IRP 18th Atul Sharma were also present during the inspection of the highway and alternative routes identification for traffic restoration on the Jammu Kathua road.
