Chenab finally relents
Jammu, Sep 4: Roaring Chenab on Thursday finally relented after showing its might for two days and ravaging vast swathes of agricultural land, houses, and other structures that came its way, along with its tributaries across Jammu division, particularly in Akhnoor.
Its water level after two days settled below flood alert level on Thursday, September 4, 2025. On September 3, its level was around nine feet above the danger mark.
All other major rivers (including the Tawi) and streams in the Jammu region were also flowing below the flood alert level.
The water in Tawi, which was flowing closer to the danger mark on Wednesday morning, had started receding by the evening (September 3), along with other rivers of the division - Ujh, Ravi, Basanter, and Devak bringing reprieve to the people as well as agencies engaged in restoration work.
With the improvement in weather, the day generally remained incident-free except for an incident in the Ratle power project at Drabshalla in Kishtwar district, where five labourers sustained injuries when a landslide hit their temporary sheds.
RESTORATION WORKS PICK UP PACE
Strewn with deluge - Jammu city, which on September 3, was cut off from three sides with the closure of Panjtirthi-Sidhra; Manda-Nagrota road due to landslides, Akhnoor bridge due to swelling Chenab, too started limping back to normalcy as restoration works picked up pace.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, while speaking to the media, said that 80 percent of the power supply and 70 percent of the water supply was restored. “The administration, in proactive mode, is working to fully restore all essential services. Debris clearance work is also going on in full swing. Given the gigantic scale of devastation, it is taking time,” he said.
Divisional Commissioner, along with DC Jammu Rakesh Minhas and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Commissioner Devansh Yadav, was monitoring cleanliness operations in the city and outskirts.
During the day, the Minister for Jal Shakti also reviewed the restoration of water supply infrastructure in Jammu.
In a related development, the high-level seven-member Inter Ministerial Team (IMT), led by Col K P Singh, Advisor NDMA, MHA, on Thursday, on the second day of its visit to the region, toured Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts for on-spot assessment of damages caused by torrential rains-induced calamities. The team is scheduled to make similar assessments in Udhampur, Reasi, and Ramban districts tomorrow.
The team was announced on the day the Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Jammu on a two-day visit on August 31.
As regards restoration works underway, according to Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rajesh Sharma, out of 285 damaged roads, 179 were restored. “Connectivity has been established in almost all areas except Bagra, Patyari, Nagali, Leundi, Jannu, Draman, Lohai Malhar, Nagrota Gujroo, Duggain, Duggan, Baggan, Suffain, Bora, Bhed Blore, Dilwan. 186 schemes of water supply were damaged, out of which 79 schemes have been restored,” official statistics mentioned.
Areas of Dilwan, Bhed Blore, Bora, Kathera, Dorsi, Kandharnoo, Komla, Dharalta, Bijjit, Dharam Kote, Mandli, Makwal, Pallan, Forest Block, Gurha Kalyal have not been restored.
Similarly, in Udhampur district, according to Deputy Commissioner Saloni Rai, 190 out of 380 damaged roads were restored. Connectivity was established in almost all areas except for some parts of Duddu Basantgarh and Moungri.
With regard to the flood situation in Doda, the Union Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, during the day, got an update from the Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh, in the wake of flash floods in Rout Marmat and other areas, in addition to damage to the Doda-Kishtwar road.
“The district administration deserves appreciation for timely action in the Bhaderwah area, thus preventing large-scale inundation and damages to public properties in the town by breaking choked culverts at Gatha and diverting water channels using heavy machinery in the midst of peak flood at various locations,” the Minister said.
VAISHNO DEVI YATRA REMAINS SUSPENDED
The pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, meanwhile, remained suspended for the 10th consecutive day on Thursday. The Yatra track on Wednesday witnessed a fresh incident of a landslide.
“Repair and restoration of the yatra track was going on in full swing. It is almost completed. However, the Yatra will be resumed only after the improvement in the situation,” Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) officials said.
As far as weather forecasts are concerned, the MeT Department has predicted that inclement weather conditions will continue to prevail across the Jammu division till September 7.
