New Delhi/Jammu: Rain continued to lash the entire Jammu division, barring Poonch and Rajouri districts, on Wednesday, even as authorities worked continuously to restore electricity, water supply and mobile services.
According to Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, the level of the river Tawi has receded, but the Chenab River continued to flow close to the danger mark.
Sharing an update on the current situation in the Jammu Division, which has witnessed one of the worst floods in recent years, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on X that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally following up on the situation and receiving updates.
Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Singh, said that the Divisional Commissioner Jammu was in constant touch with him.
He said the immediate priority was the restoration of electricity, water supply and mobile services, for which the authorities have been working continuously overnight.
The State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, paramilitary, Army and Air Force authorities are closely coordinating with the civil administration to help rescue stranded people and provide relief.
Due to the flood situation, schools and colleges have been ordered to remain closed, and the general public has been advised to refrain from non-essential movement for their safety.
The Minister in his X post said that “among the damaged structures is the historic Madhopur bridge, which became a part of history when Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee was arrested in the middle of this bridge on 11 May 1953.”
The movement of traffic on this bridge has been stopped since around 3 a.m.
Jitendra Singh also appealed to the public to stay calm and safe. “The appeal to the public is that without being panicky, let all of us cooperate among ourselves and with the authorities.”
He also shared on his X handle the Helpline telephone numbers provided by the administration for each district.
The Jammu District Administration has evacuated over 3,500 residents to safety following incessant rain that caused flash floods and waterlogging across Jammu.
Teams from the District Administration, Jammu and Kashmir Police, NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army and local volunteers have been working on evacuation and relief in the worst-hit areas, while authorities are also focused on restoring critical infrastructure and essential services.
(IANS)
