Hours after massive flash flood in the Kishtwar district, another flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall struck the upper reaches of Thathri town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Tuesday, damaging several houses, shops and vehicles. No loss of life has been reported.
This is the third flash flood to hit the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar in the past two days, as relentless rain unleashed mud, boulders and debris from the upper reaches into Thathri, disrupting normal life and prompting large-scale restoration efforts.
The Doda-Kishtwar highway is blocked with boulders and debris and the SDRF was engaged in reopening the road.
A number of vehicles parked along the road were buried under the debris, while locals claimed that some vehicles were swept away by the flash flood into the Chenab river.
The exact number of vehicles affected and the overall extent of the damage was yet to be officially assessed.
Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has directed the district administration to take immediate steps to restore normalcy in the area. He wrote on X: “Spoke with the DC, Doda to assess the situation following the cloudburst in the Thathri region. While several houses and shops have suffered damage, fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported. I have directed the DC to ensure immediate relief and assistance to the affected families and expedite restoration work, including the clearance of NH-244.”
The incident came a day after heavy flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall damaged the Doda-Kishtwar highway near the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project.
In view of the adverse weather conditions, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Bhaderwah Sunil Kumar Bhutyal issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, banned trekking, hiking, camping and other adventure activities across the Sub-Division.
The order has been issued after taking cognizance of the risks associated with unrestricted adventure activities in remote and high-altitude areas, including adverse weather conditions, landslides, flash floods, difficult terrain and other unforeseen natural hazards.
As per the order, no individual, group, trekking agency, tour operator, guide, institution or organization shall undertake, organize or facilitate trekking, hiking, camping or any other adventure activity within the territorial jurisdiction of Sub-Division Bhaderwah without obtaining prior written permission from the office of the Additional District Magistrate, Bhaderwah.
The order clarifies that it shall not be applicable to nomadic communities such as Gujjar-Bakarwals, Gaddies and other traditional migratory groups. However, their movement shall also be subject to permission from the competent authorities.
All concerned departments, including the Police, Army, Bhaderwah Development Authority, Forest Department and Executive Magistrates, have been directed to ensure strict implementation of the order. Any person found violating the directions shall be liable for action under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and other applicable laws, he warned.