Jammu Reels Under Deadly Floods, Landslides; Vaishno Devi Yatra Halted

Torrential rains and landslides have wreaked havoc across Jammu and Kashmir, claiming four lives in Doda district and halting the revered Vaishno Devi Yatra. The crisis, described as “quite serious” by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has prompted emergency measures, with major rivers like Tawi and Ravi breaching danger levels and key highways shut down. 

In Doda, two people perished when their house collapsed under the deluge, while two others were swept away by flash floods triggered by a reported cloudburst. The district administration has issued urgent advisories, urging residents to avoid riverbanks and remain vigilant.  The Tawi River, measured at 24.97 feet in Jammu at 9:15 AM, far exceeds its 20-foot flood threshold, while the Ravi River has inundated low-lying areas in Kathua, including villages like Bagthali and Keerian Gandial. 

A landslide near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari on the Vaishno Devi route in Reasi district has injured at least four pilgrims, with rescue operations underway using heavy machinery. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has suspended the yatra, along with battery car, cable car, and helicopter services, as a precaution.  Pilgrims have been advised to delay travel until conditions improve.

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The region’s infrastructure has taken a severe hit. National Highway 244, linking Doda and Kishtwar, is impassable after a section was washed away, while the Srinagar-Jammu highway is closed due to shooting stones in Ramban. Heavy snowfall at Zojila Pass has blocked the Srinagar-Leh highway, and the Sinthan Top pass, connecting Kashmir to Kishtwar, is also shut. In Kathua, the Ujh and Basantar rivers are nearing or exceeding danger marks, exacerbating flooding risks. 

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who chaired a high-level flood preparedness meeting, is set to fly from Srinagar to Jammu to oversee relief efforts. He has allocated additional funds to district commissioners for emergency restoration and instructed all departments to remain on high alert. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Jammu, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall until August 27, with risks of further cloudbursts and landslides. 

Emergency helplines, including 112 and district-specific numbers like 9484217492 for Kishtwar, are active, with police, SDRF teams, and disaster response units deployed across affected areas. The crisis, compounded by recent similar incidents in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, underscores the region’s vulnerability to monsoon-driven disasters, with experts citing climate change as a factor intensifying such events.

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