Jammu-Srinagar highway shut: J&K braces for 48-hour weather onslaught, Jammu schools closed

The Jammu and Kashmir government has placed authorities and citizens on high alert following a Meteorological Department warning of hostile weather conditions expected across the Union Territory over the next 48 hours. The alert comes as the vital Jammu-Srinagar national highway has been closed due to landslides and shooting stones between Ramban and Banihal.

Meanwhile, all government and private schools in the Jammu division will remain closed on Tuesday due to the weather forecast by the MeT department.

The Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall in most of the districts in the next 48 hours, raising serious concerns about flash floods, landslides, and other weather-related disasters in the mountainous region, as well as the plains of Jammu division.

Government directives and preparedness measures

Following the weather advisory and two back-to-back devastating cloudbursts, the government has directed all Deputy Commissioners (DCs), senior officials, engineers, and frontline employees to maintain the highest level of preparedness. District authorities have been instructed to ensure relief camps are ready and essential supplies, including medicines, food items, and drinking water, are stocked in vulnerable areas.

The DCs have issued weather advisories urging both the public and all line departments to remain alert and implement precautionary measures. Government sources confirmed that police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have been instructed to remain on standby for evacuation, rescue operations, and crowd management if required.

Authorities have been directed to work in close coordination with police, civil defense, and local volunteers to address adverse weather conditions.

Met Department's Detailed Forecast

According to the weather bulletin, August 18-19 will likely witness widespread light to moderate rain and thunderstorms, with intense downpours expected in Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, and Kathua districts. Mountainous districts, including Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, along with parts of the Kashmir Valley, may experience moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds.

Advisory

1. Possibility of intense to heavy rain, thunder showers at a few places in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions during 18-19 and 23-25 August.
2. Cloud burst, flash floods at a few vulnerable places with landslides, mudslides, shooting stones.
3. Stay away from water bodies, streams, nallahs, river embankments, loose structures and Kachha houses etc .
4. Travellers, transporters, tourists, and trekkers are advised to plan accordingly.

This advisory holds particular significance for the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and other interior routes in Chenab Valley, Pir Panjal region, and North Kashmir, which frequently face disruptions due to landslides during heavy rainfall.

Water monitoring and emergency response

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been directed to maintain round-the-clock vigilance on rivers, canals, and reservoirs. Engineers have been tasked with closely monitoring water levels and sharing real-time updates with district administrations. Emergency response teams will be mobilized if water levels rise beyond danger marks.

Officials confirmed that lessons learned from the recent Kishtwar disaster are being applied immediately, with greater emphasis on early warning systems, quick mobilization of rescue forces, and improved interdepartmental coordination.

Highway closure updates

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed early Monday after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides and shooting stones from hillocks overlooking the arterial road in Ramban district.

"Jammu-Srinagar highway is closed due to shooting stones at several places. Heavy rains are ongoing along the highway. All types of vehicular movement have been stopped," stated an advisory from the J&K Traffic Police Department.

The advisory further recommended that commuters avoid travel until weather conditions improve and the road is cleared for safe passage.

Heavy rains have triggered landslides on the national highway near Sharda Mata temple in Udhampur district, as well as at Monkey Morh and the Maroog area of Ramban district. The government continues to monitor the situation closely while emergency response teams remain on standby across the Union Territory.