Jammu and Kashmir, along with the entire northern belt of India, is once again in the spotlight for the fragility of the Himalayan and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.
The recent monsoon floods, cloudbursts incidents, and landslides across several districts have caused heavy losses of life and destroyed infrastructure worth thousands of crores.
In particular, the two incidents have fuelled a renewed search among researchers and geologists for answers to the Kishtwar and Mata Vaishno Devi landslides.
Since August 14, a total of 114 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Jammu and Kashmir. On August 14, a massive cloudburst struck Kishtwar’s Chositi village when the Machail Mata Yatra was going on in the region.
The tragedy struck around 1 pm, when flash floods triggered by a cloudburst swept away hundreds of people, bringing massive debris along and destroyed a community kitchen filled with pilgrims.
A total of 167 people were rescued by the search teams, and 65 people lost their lives in the tragic event. Additionally, 34 people remain missing as the search and rescue operation continued across the three locations on August 28.
Meanwhile, seven people were killed after a cloudburst and landslide struck Kathua district, after incessant rainfall. Another cloudburst was reported in north Kashmir’s Bandipora and central Kashmir’s Ganderbal districts, though no loss of life was reported from there.
On Tuesday, a landslide struck the Jammu–Srinagar national highway, suspending traffic movement along the route. In South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, a cloudburst caused severe agricultural and infrastructure losses.
The heavy rains across Jammu and Kashmir have created flood-like conditions, with the majority of rivers in the Jammu division crossing or flowing over the danger mark. A similar situation was observed in the Kashmir division, where the Jhelum and its tributaries are also flowing above the danger level.
Yesterday’s landslide in Mata Vaishno Devi has again highlighted the fragility of the mountainous region, claiming 36 lives, including seven minors. Of these, 26 victims have been identified, while eight remain unidentified.
Experts have pointed to several contributing factors behind the recent destruction in Jammu and Kashmir, including unplanned infrastructure in climate-sensitive zones, increased carbon footprint, deforestation, global warming, and rapid industrialisation.
Also Read: Cloudburst in Kishtwar, 46 dead, over 200 missing
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