Road connectivity hit in Pir Panjal

Rajouri/Poonch, Apr 29:  Heavy rainfall for couple of hours in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch badly impacted normal life on Monday. Surface connectivity remained affected in several areas due to closure of roads. Five houses also suffered damages amid rainfall in Poonch district.

Though the districts had been experiencing rainfall for the last three days yet its intensity increased during the intervening night of April 28 and 29. Heavy rains lashed border districts for more than three hours on Monday afternoon, reducing visibility and forcing people to stay indoors.

Windstorm along with heavy downpour further added to the problems faced by people as it triggered faults in power transmission system leading to power outage in many areas.

Besides, surface connectivity also remained affected in some of the areas due to closure of roads, especially after landslides and slippery conditions.

“Mandi Saujiyan road was closed at Bedar Mandi due to landslide that affected movement of vehicles for hours,” said officials.

Similarly, road from Kotranka sub division headquarter to Khawas was also closed for traffic due to landslide.

Assistant Commissioner Revenue Rajouri, Jahangir Khan said that directions were issued to all the field officials to remain in touch with people in their area of jurisdiction and to report for any kind of loss of property and life due to bad weather.

He said that primarily there were no reports of any loss of life and property from any area of Rajouri district.

“We will be able to collect details of minor losses by tomorrow afternoon,” he added.

However, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Poonch, Abdul Qadir Qazi said that widespread losses had taken place due to heavy rainfall in the district.

He said that initial details suggested damage to a number of structures. “Details are being collected by field staff and exact details of losses will be available by Tuesday afternoon,” he said.

At least five houses received damages amid heavy rainfall in areas of Poonch Mandi tehsil thereby badly impacting the families living in these houses.

Officials said that losses took place in Bedar, Chikri Ban and Azmabad villages of Poonch Mandi tehsil.

At Bedar, landslide hit the house of Mohammad Afzal, damaging it badly while house of Mohammad Sharif in this village was also damaged due to rainfall.

At Azmabad, house of Muhammad Sharif got damaged as landslide debris hit it (house).

Officials said, “Fortunately no loss of life has taken place in these incidents.”  The upper reaches of Mandi tehsil received unseasonal fresh snowfall thereby creating cold weather conditions in the area.

BY Sumit Bhargav and Ishrat Butt