JAMMU: Officials said on Wednesday, Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended, while authorities ordered closure of schools in Doda and Kishtwar districts as heavy rains lashed wide parts of Jammu region overnight.They added that the bad weather also forced the suspension of the chopper and electric car services at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district. The Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district was closed as a result of mudslides and landslides that were caused by overnight heavy rains that pounded a large portion of Jammu division. A traffic department official stated, “The highway is still blocked and people are advised not to travel until the restoration work is finished.” According to the officials, Tarnah nallah’s flash floods damaged two bridge pillars, and traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot route was detoured through the Kathua area.As a precaution, all public and private schools in the districts of Doda and Kishtwar were shut down for the day, according to the administration. According to them, the decision was made for the students’ safety because of the rising water levels in the Chenab River and its tributaries due to the ongoing rainfall. An all-time high rainfall of 315.4 mm was recorded in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi temple, according to a meteorological department spokeswoman. The spokesperson declared that this rainfall was the heaviest since 1980. While the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage is proceeding without incident, the new electric vehicle track to the shrine was shut down due to fears of stone shooting and landslides, according to the administration. They said that the weather-related suspension of the helicopter service to the temple. The rivers and rivulets have almost reached or passed the flood alert threshold in numerous locations, particularly in the Kathua and Samba districts, and the weather service is predicting further rain through lunchtime. The water level in Tawi, Chenab, and its tributaries in Jammu is getting close to the flood alert level, an official said. “The flood situation is grim in Kathua and Samba as all the rivers including Ujh in Kathua and Basantar have crossed flood alert mark,” the source said.
