Amit Shah Visits Flood-Hit Jammu to Assess Damage and Relief Efforts

Jammu, Sep 1 (PTI) — On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the flood-affected regions in Jammu, officials reported. He plans to visit Manguchak, identified as the district's worst-hit village. Shah, along with Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, paused on the Tawi bridge near Bikram Chowk to review the damage along the riverbanks.

Shah arrived in Jammu on Sunday night to evaluate the flood situation and the ongoing relief efforts. An aerial survey of the flood-stricken areas is expected to be conducted by him later today.

Additionally, he is set to lead two distinct meetings at Raj Bhawan, focusing on flood relief and the damage inflicted on the border security grid by the sudden floods, officials disclosed.

Since August 14, over 130 lives have been lost, and 33 individuals are missing due to cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods in the districts of Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban. Record-breaking rainfall on August 26-27 triggered flash floods in the low-lying areas of Jammu and other plains, resulting in severe infrastructure damage.

The deceased include 34 pilgrims who were caught in a landslide on their way to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on August 26. This marks the home minister's second visit to Jammu in three months. Previously, he visited the district on May 29, shortly after the Indian armed forces conducted missile strikes on terror bases across the border following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people, primarily tourists, were killed.

On August 24, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh traveled to Jammu to assess the situation after flash floods were triggered by a cloudburst in Chisoti village, Kishtwar district. Singh's plan to visit the devastated village en route to the Machail Mata shrine was hindered by inclement weather and a fresh landslide blocking the road in Paddar Sub-division.

In the Chisoti incident on August 14, 65 people, mostly pilgrims, lost their lives, over 100 were injured, and 32 remain missing following the flash floods. PTI TAS VN VN

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