Image Source: Agencies

Aug 13, 2025: Heavy rains lashed various districts of the Jammu region, triggering flash floods that damaged several structures/ houses and led to the closure of several inter-district roads today.

During the course of the day today, the Chenab, Tawi, Basantar, Tarnah, and Ujh rivers experienced excessive flooding, and this evening, a JCB washed up in the Basantar near Samba. Kathua-Basohli and Billawar roads via Mahanpur were blocked after massive landslide near Basantpur. Due to the flood in Nallahs, traffic on the Dayala Chak and Billawar roads remained suspended as well. Due to the inclement weather, all schools in the Rajouri, Reasi, and Poonch districts have been ordered closed. Significant rainfall was recorded during past 24 hours at various places in the region on Tuesday, a Meteorological department official said.
With 284 millimeters, Reasi had the most rain, followed by 204.2 millimeters in Katra, 166 millimeters in Udhampur, 199 millimeters in Kathua, 102 millimeters in Samba, and 94.4 millimeters in Jammu. In various locations, the rain caused mudslides, landslides, and flash floods. Waterlogging on numerous roads also impacted traffic movement in the city of Jammu. Large drains and Nallahs let water into a lot of houses in the city, causing damage to public property.

However, officials stated that no casualties had been reported in the region as of this evening. As a result of the flash floods, two houses on the banks of the Tawi river in the Belicharana area of Jammu were partially washed away. As a result, members of the SDRF and the police were forced to issue a warning to residents of the area not to approach the houses. Several temporary structures/ Kullahs for keeping cattle were vacated in the Nikki Tawi area.

Part of a school in the Surankote area of Poonch district was severely damaged after the flash floods struck during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, an official said.

The flash floods swept away a 200-ft-long shed adjacent to a school and a sports room, destroying all records and sports items. There were no casualties in the incident, the official said.

In Jaglanoo area of Rajouri, a cowshed collapsed, causing loss of livestock. Additionally, the rain blocked numerous roads throughout the district, preventing vehicles from moving around in some places. A landslide occurred between Dera Gali and Bufliaz, cutting off the Rajouri-Thannamandi-Surankote road and closing the Kotranka-Khawas road at Kanja. Debris has also rendered the Ghambir Mughlan-Thannamandi road impassable at a number of locations, including Bhattian Morh and adjacent stretches. The Jammu-Srinagar highway also experienced traffic jams at Jagti as the road was inundated. The authorities also shut down the Udhampur-Mansar-Samba road following landslides at several places, the official said.

In the Kathua region, the flash floods in the Ujh and Tarnah streams destroyed at least six cattle. In Reasi district, a landslide at Kandamorh in Pouni tehsil blocked the road this morning. However, the road was cleared after two to three hours. The region's rivers and streams have seen an increase in water levels as a result of the ongoing rainfall since Monday night. The authorities have issued an alert, urging people to stay away from water bodies.

At Gupt Kashi, a crucial section of the road was washed away by the swollen Chenab river in Reasi. According to the officials, the Salal Dam's gates were opened for controlled water discharge downstream to manage the rising water levels. Today, there was no helicopter service to the Mata Vaishnodevi shrine, and the bad weather prevented even the battery car from operating. Only the old route allowed the yatra. Ashok Sharma, deputy commissioner of Poonch, who was overseeing the government's efforts to deal with the flood situation, stated that the administration is completely prepared. In the meantime, the Meteorological Department has predicted rain and thunderstorms from August 12 to 15 in many parts of the Jammu division, with the possibility of heavy rain in some places. It advised residents to stay alert and follow weather advisories.

It stated that the weather would generally remain cloudy from August 12 to 15, with scattered to isolated areas of the Jammu division, including Reasi, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Doda, and Rajouri, likely experiencing heavy to very heavy rain during the night or early morning hours. A few places of Kashmir Division may also receive moderate showers with brief intense showers/ gusty winds.

The weather will generally remain hot and humid from August 16 to 17, with the possibility of brief showers in a few locations. A new period of light to moderate rain is anticipated from August 18 to 19, with some parts of the Jammu region experiencing heavy rain. The weatherman advised people to stay away from water bodies, river embankments, streams, and other types of water. He also predicted landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones in a few vulnerable locations.

According to reports from Rajouri, the district has experienced multiple landslides as a result of continuous rainfall over the past 24 hours, severely affecting road connectivity and vehicle movement in several locations. After a series of landslides between DKG and Danar, vehicular traffic remained suspended on the Thannamandi–DKG–Surankote stretch, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and locals. A landslide on the Rakiban–Malhut bridge link road in Darhal has blocked access to neighboring villages and disrupted traffic flow. In a similar vein, the Ghambir Mughlan–Thannamandi Road experienced a number of blockages, including at Bhattian Morh and nearby locations, which prevented emergency travel and transportation. In Khawas area, the Oudhan road was closed due to a landslide coupled with falling trees, adding to the disruption in rural connectivity.

An early morning landslide was also reported near Chowki Choura along the Jammu–Rajouri–Poonch National Highway, temporarily impacting highway traffic. A graveyard in Thannamandi was said to have suffered significant damage as a result of the landslide, according to reports. In a separate incident, the house and cattle shed of Rashpal Singh, son of Late Baldev Singh, resident of Jaglanoo, Kotranka, collapsed due to the continuous downpour, resulting in loss of property and livestock.

In order to restore road connectivity and clear debris, authorities have deployed personnel and equipment to various locations. The district administration has appealed to the public to avoid unnecessary travel on affected routes until clearance operations are completed.

District Poonch suffered a number of damages as a result of late-night heavy rain. Numerous houses, structures, and roads have been threatened by the land and mudslide that occurred in numerous locations. Official sources said that flash flood in Sanai Nallah followed by heavy rainfall damaged wall and sports room of Government High School Sanai in Surankote, while a link road was also damaged which connects to Jammu-Poonch highway at the same place.

SDM Surankote Farooq Khan Nazki along with other officials visited on spot. He gave specifics, stating that the water from Nallah that was flowing toward the school has been diverted to prevent additional damage, and that 15-20 houses near the roads in Potha, Buffliaz, and Daraba are at risk of landslides if more rain falls. In the meantime, families have been kept on high alert, some goods have been moved so that people can move to neighbors' houses, and a landslide also occurred near DKG on Buffliaz Thannamandi Road. Azhar Majid, Tehsildar of Haveli, stated that there were a few landslides on a few roads that were promptly cleared, and that a few houses are also in danger of landslides here. One family has moved, but fortunately, no major losses have been reported during this rainfall. The rains in Samba since Monday evening have taken a violent form and caused damage at many places.

The Samba-Mansar-Udhampur road was closed for about 12 hours because of landslides at two locations caused by heavy rain. The road was made accessible to small vehicles with the assistance of the administration around 4 p.m. today. Landslides and trees had fallen on the road near Papad Morh and near Bindu Da Beda due to which the road remained blocked for traffic. Floods brought on by rain in the Sumb region have affected numerous areas.

As a result, the road from Sumb to Goran was closed for approximately 14 hours before being reopened at 6 p.m. The road from Goran to Sodam village was closed till the time of writing the news, and JCB machines are continuously working to restore it. In addition, the boundary wall of the Govt Higher Secondary School in Sumb collapsed, but neither a child nor anyone else was hurt. The boundary walls of two houses collapsed in Sumb area.

Near Jalapar village, the electric poles on the roadside fell down, which were cleared by the local people by pushing them back from the road. Water from the rain and flood entered the homes of residents in Ward No. 13 Chak Manga Rakwal of Samba. The people of the area later held protest. The protesters later met Deputy Commissioner Samba Ayushi Sudan. She promised that she would visit the area soon to try to resolve the problem. In Kathua also, rain caused havoc since morning. Land erosion was caused by the excessive flooding of the Ujh, Ravi, and Tarnah rivers. Due to flooding and land slides in Sukka Nallah, the Lakhanpur-Basohli and Billawar roads, as well as the Bani and Taggar roads, remained closed throughout the day today. The power supply to many areas of the district has been affected.