Two Rescued from Swollen Tawi River as Army Rushes Relief to Flood-Hit Jammu Districts
JAMMU: A joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Thursday rescued two men stranded in the Tawi River near Prambli, in Jammu's Phallian mandal, after a sudden rise in water levels. The men, identified as Farman Ali (25) of Allora and Farooq Ahmed (28) of Sohanjana, had gone to graze cattle when the river swelled, trapping them midstream.
Meanwhile, torrential rain triggered landslides and a rise in the water level of the Arnas River in Reasi district, prompting the Army to launch relief operations. Troops helped residents in low-lying areas move to safer locations, set up temporary shelters, and provided hot meals, essential supplies, and medical aid, said defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal. A quick reaction team remains on standby for any contingencies.
In Rajouri district, Army personnel responded to a report of a civilian suffering from severe dehydration in the Panjnara-Peeri area. They conducted a medical assessment, administered first aid including intravenous fluids, and evacuated the patient for further care.
Search operations continued for the fifth day in Poonch's Surankote area, where seven people went missing in Murrah and Chang Nallah. A separate search for a missing employee of the Jal Shakti department also remains underway.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), the only all-weather road linking the region to the rest of India, remained closed for a second consecutive day due to landslides, shooting stones, and road erosion between Udhampur's Jakhani and Ramban's Banihal. Over 600 vehicles are stranded in various stretches, including Ramban, Nagrota, Jammu, Udhampur, Lakhanpur, and Samba. Officials said restoration work is in progress but continuous rain is hampering efforts. The J&K traffic police advised commuters to avoid travel until the highway is declared safe.
More than a dozen inter-district roads, including the Doda-Kishtwar road, remain closed due to landslides and mudslides. All major pilgrimages — Amarnath Yatra, Vaishno Devi Yatra, Sarthal Mata Yatra, and Machail Mata Yatra — have been suspended since July 19. The Rajouri-Poonch frontier districts have suffered property damage worth hundreds of crores, with over 100 vehicles washed away, though Army teams have recovered some.
