In Jammu and Kashmir, the relief and rescue operation in the cloudburst and landslide-hit Ramban district will resume today. Authorities are working to reopen the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH44), a vital road that connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country. Extreme weather conditions, including heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, and flash floods, have caused widespread damage across the region. Three people were killed in a landslide triggered by a cloudburst in Ramban district yesterday. Heavy rains coupled with hail and thunderstorms triggered multiple land and mudslides at over a dozen places, particularly between Nashri and Banihal stretch along the National Highway, blocking the strategic road and cutting Kashmir from the rest of the country. The National Highway stretch near Panthial was badly damaged. Several vehicles rolled down after a portion of the road caved in, while around one dozen load carriers were stuck in the land and mudslides near Maroog, one of the worst-affected areas. A few trucks, carrying livestock, were buried under debris near Maroog.
Farms and orchards, including apple crops, were heavily damaged, causing major losses to farmers. In Bowali Bazar, flash floods from a nearby stream destroyed around a dozen shops and structures, sweeping away parts of the market and burying several vehicles under mud. Power supply has been disrupted in large parts of the district, and mobile networks are down in many areas.
Teams from the Police, SDRF, Civil QRTs, Army and other stakeholder departments and agencies, besides volunteers from the local NGOs, are actively engaged in rescue and restoration operations across the affected areas. In a display of swift response and commitment to the welfare of civilians, the Army also extended humanitarian assistance to stranded passengers on the National Highway near Ramban. Hundreds of commuters, including women, children and the elderly, were left stranded without food, shelter or medical aid. Recognising the urgency, Army units deployed in the region immediately moved relief operations and provided essential supplies such as food packets, drinking water and medical aid. Army troops were also assisting in clearing minor roadblocks and coordinating with civil administration to facilitate the early restoration of traffic. The administration has urged locals to stay alert and follow the government’s safety advisory. Rescue operations were delayed at several places due to constant landslides, cloudburst and heavy rainfall. The schools and government institutions will remain shut today across the district amid heavy showers. The district administration has issued a heavy rain advisory.
Deputy Commissioner of Ramban, Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary, has said that the administration’s primary focus today is to fully reopen the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. He assured that efforts are underway to clear most of the blocked roads within the next 48 hours. While essential services have been restored in some areas, restoration work is still ongoing in several remote parts of the district. Chaudhary emphasised that all concerned teams are actively working on the ground, coordinating relief, rescue, and restoration efforts.
