Threat to downstream villages as Bichalri river blocked in Ramban

A massive landslide triggered by heavy rains hit the Khuni Nallah area of Ramban district on Thursday, blocking the flow of the Bichalri river.

The debris has dammed up the river, and with water accumulating, the villages downstream, especially the Karalana hamlet of 20 homes, are now under the threat of flooding, officials said. A video of the landslide has gone viral on social media. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely, but the risk remains high.

At least 11 people, including seven of a family, died in two incidents of cloudburst and landslide triggered by heavy rains in remote villages of Reasi and Ramban districts on Saturday, as Jammu and Kashmir, beset by a series of natural calamities in the past fortnight, labours to bring life back on track.

The UT has been reeling under a series of cloudbursts and landslides since August 14. With the latest incidents, 130 people have lost their lives and 140 were injured in Jammu, while 32 pilgrims are still missing.

The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district remained suspended for the fifth day on Saturday. As many as 34 pilgrims died when a landslide struck about halfway along the winding 12-km trek route from Katra to the shrine on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has directed officials to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and carry out timely evacuation of people from risk-prone zones.

The record rainfall across the Jammu region earlier this week left a trail of devastation, with hundreds of properties damaged and dozens of roads and bridges washed away, forcing the suspension of traffic on key highways, besides virtually paralysing the rail traffic.