 Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 18: The administration has placed the entire Union Territory on high alert following a warning issued by the Meteorological Department forecasting hostile weather conditions over the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, all government and private schools in the Jammu division will remain closed on Tuesday in view of the forecast.
“In view of the inclement and bad weather conditions, it is hereby ordered that all the Government as well as private schools of Jammu division shall continue to remain close till tomorrow, i.e. 19.08.2025”, reads as order issued by the Director School Education Jammu
The MeT Department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall across several districts, sparking concerns over flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and disruption to essential services, particularly in the mountainous terrain and flood-prone plains of the Jammu region.
In light of the twin cloudburst tragedies in recent days and the fresh MeT advisory, the UT administration has directed all Deputy Commissioners (DCs), senior officials, engineers, and frontline staff to remain on high alert and fully prepared for emergency situations.
District authorities have been instructed to activate and stock relief camps with food, medicines, and drinking water, monitor vulnerable locations closely, issue weather alerts to the public and line departments.
Police personnel and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been placed on standby for evacuation, rescue, and crowd control, while civil defense units and local volunteers have also been mobilized.
According to the Meteorological Department, August 18–19 is expected to bring widespread rain and thunderstorms. Intense rainfall is particularly likely in Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, and Kathua districts.
Mountainous districts such as Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, along with parts of the Kashmir Valley, may experience moderate to heavy downpours accompanied by gusty winds.
The extended advisory has also flagged potential for cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and mudslides, and hooting stones in hilly areas
The public has been advised to stay away from rivers, streams, nallahs, kachha houses, and unstable slopes. Tourists, trekkers, and transporters have been urged to plan their movement carefully, especially along interior routes in the Chenab Valley, Pir Panjal region, and North Kashmir—areas known for frequent weather-induced blockades.
The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been directed to maintain round-the-clock monitoring of rivers, canals, and reservoirs. Engineers have been tasked with providing real-time water level updates to district authorities.
Emergency response teams will be dispatched immediately in the event of rising water levels. Officials said that lessons from the Kishtwar disaster are now being implemented in real time, with a focus on early warnings, quick mobilization, and inter-agency coordination.
The government continues to monitor the situation closely and has assured that emergency teams are on standby across all ten districts of Jammu division and vulnerable pockets of Kashmir.
With weather-related disasters posing a serious risk, authorities have reiterated their appeal to the public to stay vigilant, follow advisories, and report emergencies to local control rooms without delay. |
