Flash flood disrupts traffic movement on Billawar road

After flash flood in a Nallah traffic suspended on Billawar road near Dinga Amb (L) house collapsed after heavy rain in Surankot on Tuesday (R). -Excelsior/Waseem
After flash flood in a Nallah traffic suspended on Billawar road near Dinga Amb (L) house collapsed after heavy rain in Surankot on Tuesday (R). -Excelsior/Waseem

3 houses damaged, water enters shops

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 6: A residential house was totally damaged, two partially, while water entered several shops in Surankote area of Poonch district after heavy rainfall last night while flash flood in several Nallahs in Dinga Amb tehsil of Kathua district, disrupted movement of traffic on Billawar road for about three hours in the morning.
Heavy rain in Jammu area also created water logging in many low lying areas while, rain water over flowed in the drains and lanes and entered many houses, causing damage to public property. In Samba and Kathua areas, the Nallahs and streams were flooded during morning hours amidst heavy rain. River Ujh and Basantar were also flooded. However, no much damage was reported. A sharp fall in temperature has been witnessed in Jammu after 2-3 hours rain during early morning.
Official sources said that a residential house was damaged at Surankote Upper Ward number 2, two were partially damaged due to landslide triggered by heavy rainfall. House owners alleged that it has happened because of negligence of BRO which is constructing a road. They were already told many times not to construct road closer to houses or do some protection work. They ignored public warnings and the water entered many shops at Draba and Surankote town resulting loss to the goods of shop owners including grocery, cement etc.
House owners were identified as Mehfooz Ahmed, son of Mohd Hanief, Mohd Razaq, son of Lal Mohd and Mohd Farooq, son of Lal Mohd from Surankote.
SDM Surankote Farooq Nazki when contacted said that administration has visited spot and directed BRO officials to compensate the house owners immediately, while we have also visited the shops in Draba and Surankote town to take assessment of loss to the shop owners.
Meanwhile, traffic on Dyalachak-Billawar road was disrupted for about two-three hours due to flash flood in Pranjali Nallah near Dinga Amb. A bridge is being constructed on this Nallah and due to very slow pace of work the agency failed to construct bridge over it before rainy season.
Several buses, mini-buses, trucks and other private vehicles remained stranded on this road for hours and the students and office going people failed to reach on time at their destinations. Similar reports were received from other link roads of district Kathua. Due to heavy rain, traffic disruption was also reported on Bani, Billawar link roads besides Sumb and Samba and other link roads besides Samba-Kathua border road.