After visiting the flood-affected areas in Jammu, Union home minister Amit Shah held a review meeting with chief minister Omar Abdullah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan.
Following the meeting in which leader of the opposition Sunil Sharma was also present, Shah will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas, including Manguchak, the worst-hit village of the district.
Accompanied by Sinha and Omar Abdullah, Shah stopped on the Tawi bridge near Bikram Chowk and inspected the damage along the riverbanks.
He had reached Jammu on Sunday night to assess the flood situation and the relief efforts.
More than 130 people have been killed and 33 have gone missing in cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods in Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban districts since August 14.
Record rainfall during August 26-27 caused flash floods in low-lying areas in Jammu and other plains, causing heavy damage to infrastructure.
Vaishno Devi Yatra remains suspended
The dead include 34 pilgrims who were hit by a landslide en route to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on August 26.
The Vaishno Devi Yatra remained suspended for the seventh day on Monday owing to inclement weather and safety concerns along the track. The base camp at Katra wore a deserted look with only a few pilgrims waiting for the restoration of the pilgrimage. Slight improvement in the weather was witnessed on Monday morning, raising hopes for an early resumption of the Yatra. Authorities, however, said that the situation is being closely monitored and movement will be allowed only after clearance from the agencies concerned.
Traffic partially restored on Jammu-Srinagar highway
Traffic was partially restored on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Monday, providing relief to hundreds of commuters stranded on the arterial road over the past six days. The 250-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country was blocked by multiple landslides coupled with sinking of road at different places, especially at Tharad Bridge and Balli Nallah in Udhampur district and Maroog in Ramban district on August 27.
The gates of the Salal Dam in Reasi district have been opened due to the continuous rise in water levels in the Chenab river, following heavy rainfall in the region. This decision was made as a precautionary measure to safely discharge excess water and prevent possible flooding downstream. The situation is being closely monitored, and necessary precautions are being taken to ensure public safety.
Shah’s second visit in three months
This is the Union home minister’s second visit to Jammu in three months.
Before this, he had visited the district on May 29, nearly three weeks after the Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror infrastructure across the border in reprisal to the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
On August 24, defence minister Rajnath Singh visited Jammu to take stock of the situation following flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Chisoti village in Kishtwar district. Singh’s plan to visit the devastated village, on the way to Machail Mata shrine, was scuppered by inclement weather and the blocking of a road by a fresh landslide in Paddar sub division.
Sixty-five people, mostly pilgrims, were killed, over 100 others injured, and 32 went missing after flash floods in Chisoti on August 14.
