Omar briefs PM on rains havoc in Jammu, tours affected areas

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on the situation arising from torrential rains in the Jammu region.

In a post on X, Omar said, “Spoke to PM Narendra Modi a short while ago. I briefed him about the situation in J&K from the worst-hit areas as I toured parts of Jammu, along the banks of the Tawi that saw a lot of damage yesterday. I’m grateful for his assurance of continued assistance to the people of J&K.”

Later, the Chief Minister toured Jammu city and visited the areas severely affected by the intense rainfall over the past two days. He assessed the ground situation and issued instructions to the administration to take all necessary measures to safeguard lives in vulnerable areas.

He was accompanied by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Transport, Satish Sharma. Also present were Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, Dheeraj Gupta, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Jammu Zone), Bhim Sen Tuti, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Dr Rakesh Minhas, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ansuya Jamwal, and other senior district officials.

Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Minhas briefed the Chief Minister on ongoing rescue operations, the functioning of temporary shelters, supply chain logistics, and inter-departmental coordination.

During his visit, the Chief Minister inspected the Fourth Tawi Bridge at Bhagwati Nagar, Science College at Old Campus University, Hari Singh Park near Hotel Fortune Riviera, and flood-hit areas of Gujjar Nagar in Jammu. He emphasised that the damaged end portion of the Fourth Tawi Bridge required immediate technical evaluation, noting that the same structure had sustained damage during the 2014 floods. He underlined the importance of implementing preventive measures to avoid similar damage in the future.

On the issue of damaged homes, Omar said that rehabilitation must be approached holistically to ensure that affected families receive adequate support. He directed officials to identify urgent on-ground challenges and address them as a priority.

The Chief Minister also instructed BSNL and private telecom operators Jio and Airtel to immediately restore internet and telecom services across Jammu and Kashmir, stating that uninterrupted communication is crucial during times of crisis.

He further directed that all immediate steps be taken to restore traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and the Jammu-Pathankot Highway so that stranded vehicles can be cleared and normal traffic resumed without delay.

Omar also instructed all line departments to work on a war footing to restore electricity, water supply, and road access in all affected areas. He added that a comprehensive relief package for Jammu and Kashmir would be formulated in the coming days to support the recovery and rehabilitation efforts.