Due to continuous heavy rainfall in Jammu & Kashmir, which has triggered landslides and widespread damage, the administration is taking measures to ensure public safety. On Sunday, the Directorate of School Education Jammu announced that all government and private schools across the Jammu Division will stay closed till Monday, September 1.
This was done after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) came out with a weather warning. The IMD has issued an orange alert for moderate to heavy rain over Jammu on Sunday, August 31.
IMD issued Orange Alert in Jammu
The orange warning will remain on Monday, September 1, since Jammu will be experiencing thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 km/h. The IMD has also issued an extension of the orange warning until September 2 and a yellow warning for September 3. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds will be experienced in Jammu during these two days.
Jammu CM Omar Abdullah Visits Ramban
Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had toured Ramban district, which has been severely hit by cloudbursts, to inspect the damage. He added that it will take 20–25 days to repair the landslide-affected stretches on the highway, but parallel roads have been made available to facilitate two-way traffic. Abdullah had also gone to Marog village in Ramban, among the worst-hit villages recently due to cloudbursts and flash floods.
He said that heavy and non-stop rain has damaged the highway at a number of places. The government has communicated with NHAI and the district administration, that the restoration would be time-consuming at landslide-prone areas, an alternative road has been made ready for two-way traffic. He further added that Udhampur areas have been greatly damaged, and as soon as they are restored, traffic movement will become better.
While the Indian Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, UTDRF, and other rescue officials conducted operations after a cloudburst hit Rajgarh Tehsil in Ramban on Sunday. Officials mentioned that the flash floods had affected a number of locations, and four bodies have so far been recovered.
