As torrential rains lashed vast sections of the Jammu region overnight, officials restricted traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and ordered the suspension of schools in Doda and Kishtwar districts, officials said on Wednesday. According to them, the chopper and battery vehicle service at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district has also been discontinued due to the severe weather.
Heavy rains battered large portions of the Jammu division overnight, causing mudslides and landslides along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district, forcing authorities to restrict traffic, according to officials. “The highway is still blocked, and people are advised not to travel until the restoration work is completed,” stated a traffic department employee.
According to officials, traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot highway was also diverted in Kathua district after two bridge pillars were damaged by flash floods in Tarnah nallah. As a precautionary move, all government and private schools in Doda and Kishtwar districts were shuttered for the day, according to officials.
The decision was made for the students’ safety because the water level in the Chenab River and its tributaries is rising due to prolonged rains, they claimed. According to a meteorological department spokeswoman, Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi temple, received 315.4 mm of rain, an all-time high. “This is the heaviest rainfall since 1980,” according to the source.
Post Your Comments