With water levels in all rivers of the Jammu division dropping below the danger mark on Friday, relief and rescue operations continued as the Army, Air Force, NDRF, SDRF, J&K Police, and other agencies joined forces to assist people affected by the unprecedented floods over the past five days.
The Meteorological (MeT) Department has forecast generally cloudy weather with chances of isolated rain and thunderstorms in the Jammu region and scattered showers in parts of Kashmir over the next 24 hours. Weather conditions are expected to remain erratic until September 5.
Rescue operations also continued at Ardhkuwari on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine route, where a landslide occurred on Tuesday. Officials said no bodies were recovered on Thursday as the operation is still underway. Pilgrimage to the shrine will remain suspended for three more days.
All educational institutions in the Jammu division will remain closed until August 30 to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Meanwhile, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) issued a statement in response to media reports alleging that the yatra had been allowed to proceed despite adverse weather advisories.
“SMVDSB expresses deep sorrow and pain at the unfortunate loss of lives of pilgrims in the natural disaster on August 26 and places on record the correct factual position to dispel the impression being created by the insinuating media reports. The Board categorically denies the allegations as false and baseless. The weather conditions had remained clear and conducive for pilgrimage on August 26 morning until around 10 a.m., during which time the yatra proceeded normally, so much so that even the helicopter services were operating seamlessly during that time,” it said.
“In fact, the Board had made elaborate arrangements of positioning its enforcement staff and Disaster Management Task Force along the entire track as per its established standard operating procedure. The Board monitored weather updates closely, and as soon as the forecast for moderate rains was received, registrations were immediately suspended. Majority of the yatris were moving down the track after completing darshan at the Holy Cave Shrine. Thousands of yatris en route had smoothly completed their pilgrimage back to Katra by then. Many pilgrims, however, stayed on in the shelter sheds en route at designated halt points on the old track. These are those points/ stretches which have never been susceptible to landslides in the past. These halt points have been specifically created in the safest zones of the track, for pilgrim safety,” SMVDSB added.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the fourth consecutive day on Friday due to multiple landslides between Jakheni and Chenani in Udhampur, leaving more than 500–600 vehicles stranded. The Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag highway also remained closed, while only light motor vehicles (LMVs) are being allowed on the Mughal Road between Shopian (Kashmir) and Poonch (Jammu).
Due to fresh snowfall, the Srinagar–Leh and Srinagar–Gurez roads also remain closed.
Rail traffic in Jammu division remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Thursday and will continue to be affected. The Northern Railway has cancelled 40 scheduled trains to and from Jammu, while 12 others will be short-terminated or originate from different points. Two special trains were run to evacuate stranded passengers.
According to officials, rail traffic is likely to remain paralysed for the next few days due to breaches at multiple locations, including misalignment on Bridge No. 17 on the Kathua–Madhopur Punjab downline caused by flash floods and soil erosion.
Communication services remain disrupted across large parts of the Union Territory. Telecom companies have not been able to fully restore connectivity in several districts, including Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, and Doda. Bani Sub-Division in Kathua has had no phone services for three days, while even some parts of Jammu city’s outskirts are facing network blackouts.
Power supply has also been severely hit. Several villages and towns across J&K have been without electricity for three days. In Old Jammu City, localities such as Panjtirthi, Jain Bazaar, and adjoining areas remained without power for the third consecutive day on Thursday due to infrastructure damage.
In the Kashmir Valley, water levels in the Jhelum River have receded. Schools, colleges, and universities reopened on Friday after remaining closed for two days.
(With inputs from IANS)