Temp down by 10 degrees; MeT predicts more rains till today; Shri Mata Vaishno Devi yatra remain suspended
Jammu: Torrential rains pounded large parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, swelling rivers close to their alert levels, disrupting road connectivity, and triggering multiple landslides across the region.
The downpour brought day temperatures down by nearly 10 degrees in Jammu, while the Meteorological Department warned of more heavy rain and possible flash floods in the next 16 hours.
Officials said at 8 pm the water level in the Tawi river in Jammu city was 13.5 feet, just half a foot below the alert mark and 3.5 feet below the danger mark. The Chenab was also flowing high at 30.5 feet, only a couple of feet below the alert level.
The Tarnah, Ujh and Ravi rivers in Kathua and the Tawi in Udhampur breached the alert levels during the day but began receding by evening after rains eased briefly. The Basantar in Samba, however, continued to rise after crossing the four-metre alert level.
Authorities have advised residents in low-lying areas and near riverbanks to stay vigilant and be prepared for evacuation. People have been strongly urged not to venture close to swollen rivers and nallahs.
The administration extended the closure of all government and private schools in Jammu division on Wednesday. The Board of School Education postponed Class 10 and 11 examinations scheduled for September 3, while Jammu University also suspended classes.
The downpour triggered major disruptions in surface transport. A landslide closed the road from Panjtirthi Atal Chowk to Sidhra Bridge in Jammu, while the Manda–Nagrota road remained shut.
In Ramban, cracks appeared on the flyover in the afternoon, heightening concerns as the district bore the brunt of the rains. Shooting stones were reported along several stretches of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, while landslides blocked NH-244 in Doda. Roads in Bhaderwah and Marog were also hit by landslides and sludge flow.
In Udhampur’s Pancheri, a pregnant woman had to be ferried across a flooded stream on a JCB machine after roads were cut off due to the rains.
Another road in Tharad was engulfed as a hill slope continued to sink under persistent rainfall.
Police rescued a family of 11, including women and children, trapped in their home after a landslide hit Hara village of Gool tehsil in Ramban district. A police team led by a probationary sub-inspector carried out the operation, shifting the family to safety.
Intermittent rainfall was reported from across Kashmir through the day, with heavy downpour in parts of south Kashmir. The Jhelum and other water bodies were flowing well below flood alert levels, but the Met Department cautioned of possible cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam districts.
Steady rain since morning was also reported in Qazigund and the higher reaches of Anantnag and Kulgam.
Jammu recorded a maximum temperature of 23.4°C — ten notches below normal — and a minimum of 21.5°C, nearly three degrees below average. Batote in Ramban received the highest rainfall at 55.1 mm, followed by Bhaderwah (42.6 mm), Katra (32.7 mm), and Jammu (11.4 mm) between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm.
With the forecast of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall in Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Ramban, and parts of south Kashmir, authorities said men and machinery have been kept ready for emergencies. Announcements were also made in Jammu asking people not to park vehicles on Tawi Bridge amid rising waters.
Cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides remain the biggest concerns over the next 24 hours, officials said, urging the public to exercise extreme caution.
Moreover, the otherwise bustling Katra base camp and route leading to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine wore a deserted look as the pilgrimage to the temple in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district remained suspended for the eighth straight day on Tuesday.
Fresh rainfall was witnessed in Katra and Trikuta hills, the abode of the shrine, on Tuesday.
The yatra has been suspended as a precautionary measure in the wake of adverse weather conditions, officials said, adding the tracks have been closed for all movement.
Although necessary repairs have been completed, the decision to resume the pilgrimage will depend on improvement in weather conditions and the safety of pilgrims, they said.
With the suspension of the yatra, Katra and the path to the cave shrine — once bustling with devotees chanting ‘Jai Mata Di’ — now wears a deserted look.
“The suspension has left the base camp and adjoining areas deserted, as devotees wait for the resumption of the pilgrimage,” local businessman Arvind Kumar said.
He said hotels are mostly vacant, restaurants have almost no visitors, and transport remains idle due to the suspension of the yatra, a period that otherwise witnesses heavy pilgrim rush.
As compared to the arrival of 7,10,914 and 7,48,030 pilgrims in August 2023 and 2024 respectively, this year the number was significantly lower due to the cloudburst on August 26. In July, 6,77,652 pilgrims had visited the cave shrine.
The Reasi district administration and shrine board officials are closely monitoring the situation, while restoration work on damaged tracks and roads is underway, officials said.
