Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting at Raj Bhavan, Jammu, to assess the flood situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were among the key dignitaries present during the meeting.
Following the review, Shah is scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Jammu. Prior to the meeting, he visited the Bikram Chowk Bridge and Manguchak area, both severely hit by the floods.
The recent spell of torrential rains has wreaked havoc across Jammu Division. On August 26, flash floods in Jammu city claimed more than 40 lives, including 34 in a landslide near Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. The floods also caused major infrastructural damage, with Bhagwati Nagar’s 4th Bridge suffering massive destruction.
Taking cognizance of the tragedy in Katra, LG Manoj Sinha ordered the constitution of a three-member committee to probe the causes of the landslide. The committee will be led by Additional Chief Secretary (Jal Shakti) Shaleen Kabra, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, and Inspector General of Police Jammu B.S. Tuti.
The devastation continued in the following days. On August 30, four people were killed and one went missing after a cloudburst in Ramban’s Rajgarh area, while a landslide in Reasi wiped out a seven-member family, including five children. On August 31, CM Omar Abdullah visited Ramban to assess the damage.
The monsoon fury has left several dead, displaced many, and inflicted heavy losses on public infrastructure. Relief and rescue operations are underway, with expectations running high from the Union Home Minister’s visit, as affected families seek a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package from the Centre.
Political voices have also amplified the demand. J&K Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra, in a post on X, said:
“As the Hon’ble Home Minister visits Jammu to evaluate the catastrophic losses suffered by our people, the Indian National Congress unequivocally demands an immediate, comprehensive, and well-funded relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction package… We strongly urge an independent, high-level inquiry into the systemic lapses that led to the Vaishno Devi and Chashoti tragedies.”
NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq also echoed similar sentiments, pressing for a comprehensive package to “heal the wounds” of flood victims and ensure proper rehabilitation.
