Jammu and Kashmir floods: 400 people shifted as land subsidence damages houses in Poonch

Cracks appear in a house in the aftermath of floods, at Khari on the outskirts of Jammu, Friday, Pic/PTI

Amid the intense spells of rain over the last few weeks in Jammu and Kashmir, the situation still does not look to get any easier. With all the havoc done across the state in the last few days, authorities are now on high alert. Nearly 400 residents of Kalaban village in the Mendhar subdivision of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district were shifted to temporary shelters on Monday. This action by the authorities comes after several houses developed cracks due to land subsidence triggered by continuous rainfall, officials said on Monday.

As reported by news agency ANI, authorities, with the support of a local NGO, Jammu and Kashmir authorities are providing relief material and essentials to the displaced families. Moreover, the administration has declared Kalaban unsafe and directed residents to evacuate until further notice.

Earlier, on September 13, nearly 700 people were affected due to the landslide and incessant rains. Moreover, about 95 houses were damaged after days of heavy rain. Considering the situation of extreme danger, families who were housed in relief camps are currently being supplied with food, drinking water and other basic amenities, officials said.

On the other hand, the Vaishno Devi yatra that was set to be resumed has been suspended again for the 20th consecutive day on Sunday. The Yatara has again been suspended due to adverse weather and repeated landslides along the Katra route.

Expressing his views about the suspension of Vaishno Devi Yatra, Durgesh Shrama, a devotee from New Delhi, emphasised that, "We could not have darshan because of the rainfall up there. But we are lucky to have Prasad here. People are coming from far away, and at least they are getting prasad. I am just happy to be here," as cited by ANI.

While posting on social media platform X, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) asserted, "The yatra scheduled to resume on September 14 had been postponed due to incessant rainfall." While informing about the suspension, the board also urged pilgrims to follow official updates.

Meanwhile, in Udhampur district, long traffic jams were reported on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) at Thard on Sunday, where only one lane is operational after a massive landslide.

Officials said thousands of vehicles, including nearly 2,000 trucks, were stranded as the temporary road created by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) cannot handle heavy traffic, reported ANI.

Informing about the traffic situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Deputy SP (Traffic) Udhampur, Jatinder Singh, said, "The makeshift stretch could accommodate only around 40 trucks per hour, leading to severe congestion and delays of up to two hours," as per ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)