J-K: Several houses, shops buried under debris after heavy rainfall triggers landslide in upper reaches of Doda
Doda, July 7
Several houses, shops, and vehicles were buried under a pile of debris on Tuesday morning after heavy rainfall triggered a landslide in the upper reaches of the Thathri area of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Locals in the area saw multiple damaged buildings and crushed vehicles early morning, Stones and debris on the road had led to people climbing on top of them assess damage in the area.
Multiple vehicles were upturned with as stones covered the cars and mud made them look as if they were sunk to the ground. Currently there has been no reported casualties in the landslide.
Mud, rocks, and debris swept through the town situated in the upper reaches of Thathri in Doda district.
The Tahsildar of the area, Satish Rana, has said that after preliminary search, atleast 10 houses and 25 shops have been damaged due to the sliding mud and debris in the area
"There was a lot of rainfall which started at 12 o clock in the night, late at night, probably due to a cloud burst heavy debris has come in, with people's houses being damaged and muddy waters entering their houses. According to a preliminary count, around 10 houses have been damaged and 25 houses have been damaged," Tahsildar Rana told ANI. One of the locals in the area told ANI that while there is no loss of lives, there has been large scale property damage. He has urged the government to assess the full extent of the damage to the area.
"I thank Allah that there has been no loss of lives, but there has been property damage. The government should assess the extent of the large-scale damage here," a local told ANI.
Another local said that while rainfall started late at night, water started coming onto the streets at 3 o clock in the morning.
"At night, after we had gone to sleep, and at 12:30 in night we woke up due to the sound of heavy rain. We kept on looking at the water flowing. At around 3 AM a flood came in and swept everything away. Some locals were thinking that they would be gone then. The condition was very bad then," local in the area named Shamauddin told ANI.
He also highlighted how multiple houses and people's cars have been washed away or buried under debris. According to him, only the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) has come to look at the area. He has also called for ensuring that relief is given to the affected people.
"There are people who have lost so much, they don't have blankets to sleep properly, atleast they should get some help," the local said.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Doda had received a large excess of rainfall on July 6th too. The area received 26.6 mm of rainfall on Monday, way above the 4.1 mm normal range of rainfall for the area. Apart from Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Riasi, Jammu, Samba, Khatua also received a large excess of rainfall.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Every monsoon, our northern states bear the brunt of nature's fury. The locals' plea for blankets and basic necessities is truly humbling. We often forget that people in these remote areas suffer the most. The government should expedite compensation and long-term rehabilitation.
It's good that the SDM visited, but is that enough? The scale of damage—10 houses and 25 shops—isn't trivial. We need a coordinated response from NDRF and state disaster teams. Also, why aren't we investing more in early warning systems and cloudburst mitigation?
Incredible resilience by the locals, waking up at 3 AM to the sound of rushing water. The fact that they're calling for assessment while dealing with loss is commendable. I hope the relief reaches them quickly, especially blankets and shelter materials before the next rain.
Nature is unpredictable, but our planning shouldn't be. Doda has been receiving excess rainfall for days—why wasn't there a preemptive evacuation? The Tahsildar's preliminary count is helpful, but the real test will be how fast compensation and rebuilding happen. Praying for Doda. 🙏
This is so sad. Landslides in hilly areas are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The residents need immediate aid, but long-term solutions like retaining walls and drainage systems are equally important. The authorities should act before the next rainfall worsens the situation.
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