Heavy rains pound J&K, key bridge collapses in Kathua, landslides block roads

Heavy overnight rains battered several parts of Jammu and Kashmir, flooding low-lying areas, damaging property, and disrupting normal life in many districts. The downpour also caused damage to a vital bridge on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Kathua district, officials said.

A bridge near Logate Morh on the highway collapsed in the middle after the overflowing Sahar Khad stream swept through it. Due to the strong current, traffic on both bridges across the Sahar Khad on the national highway was stopped, officials said. Authorities diverted vehicles through an alternate route.

Deputy Commissioner Kathua Rajesh Sharma said one of the bridges had suffered major damage while the second also showed signs of weakness. “The old bridge has developed significant damage. There was also some doubt about the condition of the new one, so as a precaution we immediately closed it. The highway authorities and their engineers are arriving to check it, and only after that will a decision be taken,” he said.

He added that revenue authorities were also inspecting reports of damage at Nagri bridge. “This is continuous rain. There is no need for foolishness or adventurism. Jumping onto a damaged structure is not bravery, and I would strongly urge people not to do that,” he said.

Jammu, the winter capital, recorded 190.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am, making it the second-highest downpour for the month of August in the last 100 years. The highest remains 228.6 mm, recorded on August 5, 1926, while the previous second-highest was 189.6 mm on August 11, 2022.

The heavy rains inundated several areas of Jammu city, with flood waters entering homes in Janipur, Roop Nagar, Talab Tilloo, Jewel Chowk, New Plot, and Sanjay Nagar. Boundary walls of houses collapsed, while nearly a dozen vehicles were swept away in flash floods, officials said.

Authorities issued advisories urging people to stay away from rivers, streams, and landslide-prone zones as the weather department forecast moderate to intense rainfall until August 27 with possibilities of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in higher reaches.

Despite the heavy rains, the 250-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway and the 434-km Srinagar-Leh highway remained open for traffic. However, landslides forced the closure of the Mughal road connecting Poonch and Rajouri with Shopian, as well as the Sinthan road linking Kishtwar and Doda with Anantnag.

In Kathua, Ujh and Ravi rivers swelled dangerously, while water levels rose sharply in other major rivers and streams including Basantar in Samba, Chenab in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Jammu, and Tawi in Udhampur and Jammu. Disaster response teams and police were put on alert.

Officials reported no immediate casualties. However, landslides blocked roads in Rajouri, Poonch, and Gurez in north Kashmir.

In terms of rainfall, Udhampur recorded the second highest with 144.2 mm, followed by Katra at 115 mm, Samba at 109 mm, and Kathua at 90.2 mm. Srinagar, the summer capital, received 13.5 mm of rainfall.

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With inputs from PTI.