Key Points

Udhampur (Jammu & Kashmir) [India], September 4 (ANI): Udhampur Deputy Commissioner, Saloni Rai, conducted an extensive inspection of relief camps established across the district on Wednesday, assessing facilities and interacting with residents displaced by severe rainfall. The visit comes in the wake of continuous heavy downpours that have lashed the region since the evening of August 25.

DC Rai outlined the administration's response to the natural calamity, which has caused rivers and streams to swell significantly and triggered multiple landslides at various locations. She confirmed that several areas have been completely cut off due to the widespread damage.

DC Rai said to ANI, "Our primary focus has been to prevent any loss of life. With this objective, a total of 38 relief camps have been activated in safer locations of Udhampur district, currently sheltering over 2,000 people."

"The district administration is ensuring all essential supplies, including food and water, are provided to the affected individuals. Every camp is staffed to address the needs of the inhabitants, with all official teams working on the ground round-the-clock," Rai added.

Rai provided a preliminary assessment of the extensive damage to road connectivity. She said, "Approximately 380 roads have been damaged across the district. Restoration efforts are underway, with 190 of these roads already repaired and reopened."

"While connectivity has been restored to most areas, the remote regions of Dudu-Basantgarh and some parts of Moungri remain cut off. The administration is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the supply of essential commodities to these isolated areas," Rai added.

Network connectivity has also been largely restored, except in the Dudu-Basantgarh belt. The DC assured that full-scale road restoration work would resume with additional machinery as soon as the weather conditions improved.

Meanwhile, continuous heavy rainfall has been witnessed in several parts of Jammu & Kashmir, with rivers swelling and flash flood-like conditions reported across multiple districts. In Rajouri, incessant downpours have led to flood-like conditions, forcing authorities to remain on high alert. Meanwhile, in Doda's Bhalesa and Bhaderwah areas, torrential rains continued for the second consecutive day, triggering flood-like conditions.

Amid incessant rains, the Tawi River is in full spate, while in Srinagar, the Jhelum River's water level rose significantly. Similarly, the Chenab River is in full spate due to continuous showers in the upper regions.

Torrential monsoon rains and severe floods have wreaked havoc across northern India, severely impacting regions in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.

Over the past few weeks, relentless downpour has triggered landslides, flash floods, and widespread waterlogging, claiming numerous lives, displacing thousands, and causing extensive damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods.

- ANI