Several Houses, Land Damaged as River Floods in Poonch
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Monsoon fury wreaks havoc; schools shut, highways blocked; DC, SSP inspect flood-prone areas
JJ Toseef R Ganai
Poonch, August 18: Incessant rainfall since Monday wreaked havoc in Poonch district, triggering floods in Betar river and flash floods in several nallahs, causing massive damage to residential houses, land and public infrastructure.
In Purani Poonch area of Ward No. 17, multiple families suffered heavy losses after their houses and land were engulfed by the swollen river. The affected include Manjeet Singh, son of Harbhajan Singh, whose pucca house and land were inundated; Jahangir Ahmed, son of Mohd Akhter, whose kuccha house collapsed; Mohd Tajamal, son of Mohd Latief, who lost part of his pucca house; and Sakhi Ahmed, son of Abdul Gani, whose kuccha house was also badly damaged.
Locals said the sudden rise in water levels created panic as residents rushed to safer locations. Water also entered several houses and shops in low-lying areas, compounding the misery of people. Authorities have been urged to provide immediate relief and assess the damages.
Meanwhile, the relentless monsoon fury has also triggered landslides and flash floods across the district, disrupting normal life. The Jammu-Poonch National Highway, Mughal Road and several other vital roads were blocked at multiple places, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded. Schools across the district remained closed on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
In view of the worsening situation, Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma along with SSP Shafket Hussain Bhat and ACR Mohammad Sayeed conducted an extensive tour of flood-prone areas including SK Bridge, Mangnar Nallah and the stretch from Purani Poonch to Betar Nallah. The officers took stock of the situation and directed concerned departments to remain on high alert with men and machinery ready for any emergency.
The Deputy Commissioner stressed round-the-clock monitoring of vulnerable points and appealed to the public to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary movement near rivers and nallahs, and strictly follow advisories during heavy rains.
