Srinagar: A cloudburst in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir has damaged a road, leading to the closing of the arterial Srinagar-Leh national highway, officials said on Sunday.
“The traffic on Srinagar-Leh road has been suspended till further notice due to road damage at Kacherwan in Kangan area of Ganderbal district,” an official of the traffic control room said.
He said the road was damaged due to cloudburst during the intervening night.
A police official said some buildings, including residential houses, have suffered damage due to the flash floods triggered by the cloudburst.
Sources said that the locals suffered huge losses and are asking the administration to come to their rescue.
Authorities are on the ground to provide help and assistance to those in need, the official said.
The closure of the highway has cut off Kashmir valley from Ladakh union territory while Baltal base camp for Amarnath yatra has also been rendered inaccessible.
However, official sources said that the road was partially restored late afternoon while efforts were being made to clear it completely.
MP Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, asked the district administration to take immediate measures to provide help and relief to those affected.
“I am heading back to Delhi to attend the Parliament session resuming tomorrow. I heard the unfortunate news about the cloud burst that has hit many areas in Kangan Gandarbal. It has caused a huge damage to the livelihood of people in the area. I urge the district administration of Gandarbal to take immediate measures to provide help and relief to those affected,” Mehdi posted on X.
Meanwhile, National Conference leader and Member Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmed on Sunday expressed grief over the flash floods damaging properties including residential houses, agricultural land and vehicles in few Kangan villages.
In a statement issued here, Mian Altaf said that it is sad that flash floods occurred in several areas of Kangan sub-division including Cherwan, Kullan and Gagangir areas causing massive damage to residential houses in Cherwan area besides damaging the agricultural fields.
He urged the administration to take necessary measures and provide relief and assistance to the affected. “I urge the administration to provide relief and compensation to the affected people besides taking measures so that under such circumstances the damage is avoided,” he said.
NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah also expressed anguish over the cloudburst incident, and urged the local administration to act swiftly to restore roads and provide relief and compensation to the affected people.
Taking to micro-blogging site X the JKNC said: “Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah are anguished over the cloudburst in Cherwan, Kangan, Ganderbal”.
“In their message, the duo said the damage to crops and homes is heart-wrenching. They stressed that it is imperative for the local administration to act swiftly to restore roads and provide necessary relief and compensation to those affected,” the post added.
Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also urged the authorities for adequate compensation to those who suffered losses due to cloudburst in Kangan area.
“I urge the authorities to ensure adequate assistance and compensation for those who suffered losses due to the cloudburst that hit several areas of Kangan in district Ganderbal early this morning. Thankfully, there have been no casualties in the unfortunate incident,” Bukhari in a post on X said.
“However, reports suggest that some buildings, including residential houses, have suffered damages due to the flash floods triggered by the cloudburst. Also, the heavy rainfall has caused extensive damage to paddy fields, and several vehicles have become trapped in the resulting debris. In this hour of grief, the administration must ensure all necessary measures are taken to support the victims of this natural calamity,” Bukhari added.
