Jammu: Heavy rains lashed large parts of Jammu region on Tuesday, severely disrupting normal life and prompting authorities to maintain a high alert, officials said.
At least 23 people have died and seven others are missing in rain-related incidents in Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts since Sunday, while all major pilgrimages, including Amarnath yatra, Vaishno Devi yatra, Shiv Khori yatra and Machail Mata yatra, remained suspended for the third consecutive day due to persistent downpours, landslides, and the heightened risk of flash floods.
Authorities said the situation is being monitored round-the-clock, with district administrations, disaster response teams, police, and other agencies remaining on highest alert in vulnerable areas.
Pilgrims have been advised to stay at designated shelters until weather conditions improve and the routes are declared safe.
Despite rains, the rescue teams continued their search for seven persons reported missing in the worst-hit Poonch and Rajouri districts , where cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides have caused extensive damage over the past three days.
According to meteorological department, the holy town of Katra, the base camp for the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, recorded the highest rainfall of 107.1 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Tuesday.
Poonch district recorded 61.5 mm of rainfall, Reasi (54.5 mm), Rajouri (49 mm) and Jammu (35 mm) during the same period.
Several roads and link roads remained affected due to landslides and shooting stones, while waterlogging disrupted traffic in both urban and rural areas, the officials said, adding restoration work is underway, but fresh rainfall continues to hamper efforts to clear debris and reopen roads.
Amid prediction of moderate to heavy rainfall till July 23, authorities have urged people to exercise extreme caution, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay away from rivers, nallahs, water bodies, and landslide-prone areas.
In the past two days, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has chaired back-to-back high-level review meetings to assess the flood situation, restoration works and relief measures across the Union Territory, reiterating that the safety and well-being of the people remain the government’s highest priority.
He directed the administration to act proactively, efficiently and with empathy so that no citizen suffers during this critical period, while ensuring speedy restoration of essential services, timely relief to affected families and effective preparedness to deal with any further weather-related challenges.
