AMMU: The onset of the cloudburst season in Kashmir began with a significant cloudburst early this morning, resulting in flash floods that wreaked havoc in Thathri town of Doda district. The incident, occurring at 3 am, on Friday, led to massive mudslides, inundating vast areas along the Batote-Kishtwar National Highway (NH 244). Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries or loss of life.
The cloudburst caused considerable damage, particularly impacting the entire market area of Thathri town, several residential houses along NH 244, and numerous parked vehicles, which were trapped under the debris. The sudden cloudburst led to flash floods near the Army gate at Zero Point, a relatively less populated area, minimizing the potential for casualties.
SDM Thathri, Masood Ahmed Bichoo, remarked on the situation, stating, “Although the mudslide caused by the sudden cloudburst was significant, the flash floods struck near the Army gate at Zero Point, a less populated area. While heaps of mud and debris covered the entire market area, there was no major loss, and restoration work began at 4 am.”
Efforts to restore normalcy commenced immediately, and by now, traffic on the highway has been fully restored as all the debris has been cleared from the market area. The prompt response helped mitigate further disruption.
Tehsildar Thathri, Satish Raina, provided additional details, noting that 5-6 residential structures near the Zero Point area have suffered damages due to water seeping into the properties. Additionally, a 500-meter road stretch has been damaged due to the inundation. Despite these challenges, the swift action of local authorities ensured that the impact was contained and recovery efforts were initiated promptly.
This cloudburst is reminiscent of a similar incident on July 20, 2017, when a cloudburst wreaked havoc in Thathri town. The previous event led to the destruction of a dozen structures near Jamia Masjid and resulted in several injuries. The recurring nature of these incidents highlights the vulnerability of the region to such natural disasters, particularly during the peak summer season when cloudbursts are more likely to occur.
