Gopal Sharma
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, July 23: Heavy rains and cloudbursts in Poonch, Kupwara and Rajouri wrecked havoc during past 24 hours, damaging dozens of houses, shops and industrial units besides wiping out infrastructure at an Army unit in Mendhar while a woman was washed away in flash floods in Reasi area today.
About 800 mt portion of Mendhar-Kalaban and 500 mt portion of Chatral road was washed away besides half a dozen culverts and small bridges and three jhulla bridges, snapping link to over a dozen villages and many hamlets with a population of over 14,000. About 80 electric poles, two transformers, hundreds of PHE water pipes and nine pumping stations have either been washed away or suffered extensive damage. Four vehicles were washed away and 10 were extensively damaged. Mud-slush has spread all over the area restricting movement of the vehicles.
At least 22 houses, half a dozen shops, nearly 80 cattle and over dozen barracks, tents and other infrastructure of an Army unit located in Kalaban area of Poonch were washed away while eight industrial units, a over two dozen shops and several houses were extensively damaged in Kheora area of Rajouri due to cloudburst last mid night.
A company of 37 RR (ECO) which was washed away about two weeks back due to cloudburst, again met the same fate last mid night due to another cloudburst. This time army damage is extensive. Some weapons are also said to have been washed away. A defence spokesman said that only two rifles are missing in the flood besides other belongings and infrastructure.
As the ‘Sentry’ on duty raised alarm, the jawans and officers started running to safer places. Company Commander Maj A P Singh who was sleeping in a room broke the window glass and ran for the safety. He was injured while breaking window panes. The beds, boxes, uniforms, water tanks and all other belongings of the Army jawans were washed away in the flash flood.
The Commanding Officer of 37 RR Col Ramneek Singh, Commander Sector RR Surankot Brig R P Singh rushed to the area with jawans early today and started rescue operation. Assistant Commissioner Revenue Poonch, SDPO Shahid Nahim and Tehsildar also arrived there for rescue. They provided relief material to the civilians and soldiers. Many soldiers and villagers remained trapped there for 6-7 hours.
Ex-Sarpanch Mohammad Rafiq whose house was damaged said that he along with family members rushed to the fields after cloudburst. “It was a rare and terrible scene. The sky was full of flash lights and deafening sounds made all of us to realize that our end was now near. We started praying to God and then suddenly sound of flowing water, trees, stones and other thins amidst heavy rain was realized. We spent night in the open and in the morning we saw that house had been washed away along with their cattle tied in the shed. About 80 to 100 cattle of villagers were washed away in the area,” Rafiq added.
Due to flash flood in a nallah in Khanetar area of Poonch, a Maruti car and three bikes were washed away to PoK from Chakkan da Bagh area early today.
In Kheora area of Rajouri and ward 5, the cloudburst and flash flood caused extensive damage in industrial area and adjoining localities. The mud and water entered many shops and furniture, steel and other industrial units.
Over three dozen houses and about eight industrial units suffered massive damage. The people said that it was only cloudburst due to which massive flood was witnessed in this small nallah. Slush and muddy water entered many houses and caused damage to households. One pucca house gave way while all the members survived unhurt. No loss of human life has been reported in Mendhar and Rajouri towns.
Reports from Reasi said that One Shamim Akhtar, wife of Masoom Ali, resident of Thuroo village in Arnas was washed away along with two cattle when she was crossing Mangat nallah at around 3 pm today. Her dead body was later recovered. The two oxen, however, were washed away.
Meanwhile heavy rains also lashed Kashmir and other parts of Jammu region since last night leading to water logging in Srinagar and Jammu cities and cloudburst in frontier district of Kupwara in North Kashmir while 150 tourists were rescued in Leh.
The heavy downpour started at around 7.30 am and continued till 9.30 am in Srinagar leading to water-logging of majority of Srinagar roads. A Meteorological official told Excelsior that 11.7 millimeter of rain was recorded in Srinagar today. The few hours of rainfall caused water-logging in downtown and civil line areas of the city leading to traffic jams in morning hours. The rainfall also caused damage to a brick wall in Nowshahra area of city here. However, there was no loss of life.
A cloudburst occurred in the forest area of Muqam Shah Wali in Kupwara district leading to inundation of various residential localities, local residents told Excelsior over phone. They said the cloudburst occurred at around 8:30 am when it was raining heavily in the area.
Soon after the cloudburst, they said, the mud water entered Kumar Mohalla, Hajam Mohalla, Dawood Colony, Peer Mohalla, Noor Mohalla and Drugmulla. “Within no time, the roads and streets inundated and several people got trapped in their houses and they were rescued by locals and moved to safer places,” said Tanveer Ahmad, a resident of Muqam Shah Wali, in the district. There was, however, no loss of life due to the cloud burst.
In order to assess the situation, the local civil administration and police visited the affected areas. Even as the situation returned to normal as rains came to halt at 11.30 in the morning but the cloudburst, which was second in recent days, caused fear among people.
The MeT official said 23.7 millimeter rain was recorded in Kupwara, which is highest in Valley today. He said that the maximum temperature in Srinagar was 26 degree Celsius while the minimum was 19.3.
The MeT has predicted light to moderate rainfall in the State for next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that it along with district administration Leh rescued 130 stranded passengers in Ladakh Division. “Police, with the help of district administration Leh, rescued 130 stranded tourists late night as a culvert was washed away in landslides at many places of Leh-Manali road. The tourists were rescued by bringing them on foot for 15 Kilometers to the bus point. Buses were provided by district administration and escorted by police,” the spokesman said.
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