Our Bureau
Jammu
Termed as the lifeline of the Kashmir Valley, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway has remained shut for a third day in a row after heavy rains caused landslides and triggered flash floods in the Union Territory on April 20.
Among the worst affected by the calamity is Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district that witnessed scores of stranded trucks with eatables perished due to cold weather conditions and passenger vehicles with commuters’ belongings stuck under the debris for more than 12 hours.
Following the gravity of the situation, the local residents of Ramban halted the convoy of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah to discuss the landslides that have killed three people and caused extensive damage in the district. Abdullah already visited Kali Morh on the highway on Monday to personally supervise the relief operation and assess the damage.
The divisional commissioner has reported that 10 to 12 villages, including Seri, Bagna, Panote, and Khari, experienced varying degrees of damage, with assessment teams working on the ground to provide relief to affected people.
According to Union minister and Lok Sabha member from Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Jitendra Singh, the Jammu-Srinagar national highway is likely to be partially restored on Wednesday and the relief operations for the flash flood-affected families in Ramban district were being carried out. Dr Jitendra Singh said on X, ‘The relief operations are in full swing. Administration is doing its best despite the most unfavourable circumstances. DC Mr Baseer Choudhary is personally camping in the affected area. The electricity supply is being restored. Out of 1762 DTs, 1486 DTs have been restored and work on remaining 286 DTs is going on. As for water supply, out of 98, WSS 89 water supply schemes have been made functional and restoration work on remaining 9 schemes is going on.’
