Flash floods hit J-K’s Chatroo; schools shut in Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban

Flash floods triggered by a cloudburst swept the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district early Saturday, forcing several schools to shut.

Persistent rain has disrupted normal life across the Chenab Valley, prompting authorities to close schools in Kishtwar, Doda, and Ramban districts.

Officials said the schools have been instructed to conduct online classes.

A cloudburst struck Chatroo at around 2.30 am, triggering flash floods that caused widespread damage, they said.

The sudden deluge inundated the main market with boulders, mud and slush, and rendered the Kishtwar-Chatroo-Sinthan National Highway out of bounds.

At least two vehicles parked along the banks of a local stream were swept away, while several shops and houses were inundated, officials said.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said he spoke to Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma shortly after receiving reports of the cloudburst.

The minister said though no loss of life was reported in the incident.

He said affected shopkeepers and business owners would be provided compensation in accordance with the government’s relief norms.

Singh said the government has strengthened disaster preparedness in the district following last year’s devastating Chasoti cloudburst that left 63 people, mostly devotees visiting Machail Mata shrine, dead. Around 30 people who went missing after the incident are still to be traced.

The minister said the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has installed one Early Warning Systems (EWS) each in Kishtwar and Machhail to improve advance weather monitoring and provide timely alerts during extreme weather events.

An automatic weather station is also being installed in the Padder area, he said.

In Kishtwar, the chief education officer ordered the closure of all government and private schools for the day, citing heavy rain, slippery roads, and the possibility of shooting stones.

A similar order was issued in adjoining Doda and Ramban districts.