Despite weather alerts forecasting very heavy rain with possibilities of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides, three back to back rain related incidents that so far have claimed 138 lives that include 131 pilgrims within a span of just 12 days in Kishtwar, Kathua and Reasi districts have raised serious questions about the delay of the J&K administration in allowing the trek on the old route.
Heavy rains for the past one week have wreaked havoc in Jammu division causing cloudbursts, flash floods, swelling rivers, inundation of low lying areas, landslides in mountainous areas and damaging infrastructure like bridges and roads.
“When meteorological department had been regularly issuing weather forecasts on hourly basis alerting the administration about heavy rains, cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides, the administration showed ‘criminal neglect’ in not suspending the Machail Mata Yatra and Vaishno Devi pilgrimage,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.
“If the administration, headed by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, was prompt in suspending Amarnath Yatra in view of inclement weather forecasts then not suspending the Mata Machail Yatra in Kishtwar and the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage in time amounts insensitivity, including on the part of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board,” he said.
The officer held the Katra and Padder sub-divisional magistrates and the shrine board responsible for the 34 deaths. At least 65 pilgrims died in Kishtwar, 32 remain missing since August 14. On August 17, at least seven people, including five minors, died in a cloudburst in Kathua.
{{/usCountry}}The officer held the Katra and Padder sub-divisional magistrates and the shrine board responsible for the 34 deaths. At least 65 pilgrims died in Kishtwar, 32 remain missing since August 14. On August 17, at least seven people, including five minors, died in a cloudburst in Kathua.
{{/usCountry}}With a flood-like situation prevailing across Jammu and Kashmir, the meteorological centre in Srinagar on Wednesday said that Jammu recorded 380mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, making it the highest-ever one-time rainfall in a day in the region.
MeT centre director Mukhtar Ahmad said that Jammu recorded the highest rainfall in 24 hours since the MeT centre started recording in Jammu . “The 380 mm is record rainfall in Jammu in 24 hours since we started recording in Jammu in 1974,” he said.
Independent weather spotter Faizan Arif said that the 24 hour rainfall in Jammu is almost equivalent to its monthly average.
“The last record was 270.4 mm recorded on September 25, 1988. This has also broken the record of 218.4mm recorded on August 23, 1996. For comparison, this figure is close to 403.1mm, which is Jammu’s monthly average for August,” he said.
Weather set to improve: MeT dept
Meanwhile, the meteorological department has predicted an improvement in the weather. “Generally cloudy with intermittent light to moderate rain at many places of Jammu division and South and Central Kashmir during the day with cloudy gaps in between generally on Wednesday. August 28-29 may witness a brief spell of rain/thunder at a few places,” the MeT said.
Ladakh gets snow, Kashmir rain
Not only Jammu, Kashmir division and Ladakh also received rains and snowfall, respectively. Ladakh witnessed its first major snowfall in August, while moderate rains lashed Kashmir Valley on Tuesday.