Rains, floods grip North India; Disrupt life

Fresh rains in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have disrupted normal life across the region triggering landslides on major mountainous roads. Water levels in rivers have swelled above the danger mark. Two persons were killed in Jammu in a house collapse due to floods even as people are being evacuated from the vulnerable areas.

The national highway connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country remained closed for over a week now, disrupting essential supplies to the Valley, resulting in losses to apple traders, as several fruit laden trucks were unable to move to the markets.

According to the traffic department, Mughal road, Jammu-Srinagar-Leh national highway and the Jammu-Kishtwar national highway are closed for vehicular movement following multiple landslides. Schools in Jammu division, which bore the brunt of the floods over the past three weeks, will remain closed till September 5. Schools remained closed in Kashmir on Wednesday and will remain closed on September 4 as well.

The administration informed that a mother-daughter duo was killed when their mud and brick house collapsed due to rains in Kangri village of Sunderbani in Rajouri district. Jhelum river and its tributaries in southern Kashmir, including Rambara, Veshaw and Lidder, have swelled and washed away huge tracts of land and apple orchards, and water has entered several residential areas.

"Gates of Dal Lake have not been opened, Kandizaal bund has not been breeched or broken. The Jehlum is climbing but at a much slower rate than was feared. The administration is not going to lower its guard, we continue to monitor the situation very closely but at the same time we appeal to people not to believe rumours that are being spread unnecessarily," J&K CM Omar Abdullah posted on X.