CM Omar Abdullah reviews situation of Poonch, Rajouri after flash floods wreak havoc in twin districts

JAMMU : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on sunday chaired a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat, Jammu, to review the situation arising from incessant rainfall leading to flash floods in Poonch & Rajouri. The Chief Minister also assessed the preparedness of the administration to deal with any weather-related eventuality across Jammu & Kashmir.
The meeting comprehensively reviewed the prevailing weather situation, the impact of heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides reported from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and the measures being undertaken by various departments to ensure public safety, restore essential services and provide timely relief to affected families.
At the outset, the Chief Minister expressed deep condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in flash fllods and conveyed his sympathies to all those affected by the ongoing inclement weather. He said the Government stands firmly with every affected family and remains committed to providing all possible assistance for relief, rehabilitation and restoration.
Emphasising that protecting human lives remains the Government’s foremost priority, the Chief Minister directed the administration to remain on highest alert and ensure swift and effective response to every emergency.
He instructed all Deputy Commissioners and field agencies to closely monitor vulnerable areas, particularly those prone to landslides, flash floods and inundation, while ensuring that rescue teams, machinery and essential services remain fully prepared to respond at short notice.
The Chief Minister was informed that rescue teams have already been kept on alert in rain-affected areas to respond to any eventuality. He stressed that every possible effort should be made to trace and retrieve missing persons so that affected families receive timely support and they are able to reconcile with the reality of unfortunate death of their loved ones.
Reviewing the availability of essential commodities across J&K, the Chief Minister directed the concerned departments to ensure uninterrupted supplies of food grains, medicines, drinking water and other essential items in every district. He also called for the expeditious restoration of roads, power supply, drinking water schemes and communication links wherever these have been disrupted due to heavy rains.
The Chief Minister was also informed that sufficient funds have been kept available to meet relief and rehabilitation requirements wherever necessary. He directed that there should be no delay in extending financial assistance and relief to affected families.
The meeting was informed that adequate stocks of medicines are available across J&K while surveillance has been intensified to prevent any outbreak of water-borne or communicable diseases in the aftermath of heavy rains.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo emphasized the need for immediate rescue & relief measures, effective coordination between departments & agencies and furnishing of updated damage reports. He directed Divisional Commissioners to coordinate with Telecom companies for restoration of telecom services in the affected areas immediately.
Underscoring the importance of seamless coordination, the Chief Minister said that effective inter-departmental coordination is critical during such situations. He directed all departments, district administrations and field agencies to work in close coordination with one another and maintain constant liaison with the Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other agencies engaged in rescue and restoration efforts.
“Coordination cannot be emphasised enough,” the Chief Minister said, directing all districts to keep their control rooms functional round the clock, maintain constant vigilance and ensure prompt dissemination of information to facilitate timely decision-making and response.
Reviewing the status of connectivity, the Chief Minister was informed that all major roads remain open, while clearance operations are underway to remove landslides and debris from affected road stretches. He directed the concerned agencies to expedite restoration works, with particular emphasis on restoring electricity supply in Poonch district at the earliest.
To strengthen monitoring during the ongoing weather situation, the Chief Minister directed that, beginning today and till July 24, every district shall submit situation reports every six hours to the respective Divisional Commissioners, who will consolidate and forward the reports to Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRRR). The department will compile the reports and circulate them to the offices of the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. He expressed hope that the reporting mechanism could be discontinued after July 24 if weather conditions improve.
Regarding educational institutions, the Chief Minister noted that schools have already been closed till July 22. He directed the School Education Department to review the prevailing weather situation on July 22 and take an appropriate decision regarding opening of schools in both the Summer and Winter Zones, The Chief Minister also announced that, subject to the prevailing situation, Ministers will begin field visits from tomorrow to personally assess the ground situation, monitor relief operations and ensure that all necessary assistance reaches affected people without delay.
During the meeting, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, briefed the Chief Minister on the damage caused by heavy rains in Rajouri and deaths in Poonch districts and outlined the ongoing rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken by the administration.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, apprised the meeting about the prevailing monsoon situation in the Kashmir Division, preparedness for weather-related emergencies, arrangements for the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 and other precautionary measures being taken to tackle any emerging situation.
Deputy Commissioners of Poonch, Rajouri and Kishtwar also briefed the Chief Minister on the damage reported in their respective districts and the actions initiated by the district administrations to address the situation.
Commissioners of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) informed the meeting that men, machinery and emergency response equipment have been kept on standby to deal with any exigency arising from the ongoing spell of inclement weather.
The meeting was attended online from the Resident Commissioner’s Office, New Delhi, by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana and Satish Kumar Sharma, besides Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani. The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries of key departments, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, ADGP Civil Defence & SDRF, Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, Inspector General of Police (Traffic), Deputy Commissioners, Chief Engineers of Irrigation and Flood Control, senior officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), JKPCC, JAKEDA, NBCC, telecom service providers including Jio and Airtel who attended the meeting online along with senior officers from all concerned departments and agencies.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the Government is closely monitoring the evolving situation and will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard lives, minimise damage and ensure timely relief and rehabilitation for all those affected by flash floods and the ongoing spell of adverse weather across J&K.