The BRICS TimesThe Union Home Minister was joined by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and Opposition leader Sunil Sharma during his visit and received a briefing from senior officials.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited flood-affected areas in Jammu and assured residents of government support for relief and rehabilitation.
Shah, who arrived in Jammu on Sunday night to assess the situation, was accompanied by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma. He was briefed on the damage and rescue operations by Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and other senior officials.
After meeting delegations at Raj Bhavan, Shah traveled to Mangu Chak—among the worst-hit villages near Jammu Airport—where he spoke directly with victims. He assured the villagers that the government would extend full assistance. He also stopped at the Tawi bridge near Bikram Chowk to review erosion along the riverbanks.
Residents shared their hardships with him. Bhan Singh, whose home was destroyed in the floods, said Shah personally assured him of relief. Another villager, Chain Dass, recounted how the deluge submerged their entire settlement, expressing hope that preventive steps would be taken to avoid future disasters. Some locals blamed flooding on road construction in the area.
Later, Shah chaired a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan with Sinha, Abdullah, Sharma, top police officials, and central as well as UT administrators to review relief efforts. He is also expected to evaluate the impact of flash floods on border security infrastructure.
The region has suffered devastating monsoon fury since mid-August, with over 130 deaths and dozens missing due to cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods across Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban. Among the victims were 34 pilgrims killed by a landslide en route to the Vaishno Devi shrine on August 26.
Jammu and Kashmir witnessed record-breaking rainfall on August 26–27. Jammu city logged 380 mm in just 24 hours—the highest since 1910—while Udhampur registered 630 mm, nearly double its previous record. The downpour caused severe damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure in low-lying areas.
This marks Shah’s second visit to Jammu in three months. His earlier trip was on May 29, following cross-border strikes by Indian forces after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also toured Jammu on August 24 to review flood-hit areas, though bad weather prevented him from reaching Chisoti village in Kishtwar, where 65 people—mostly pilgrims—lost their lives on August 14.
