Over 400 houses suffered damage due to heavy rains, flash floods in J-K's Kishtwar in August

Jammu, Sep 11 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district was battered by heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides during August, causing extensive damage to more than 400 houses, officials said on Thursday.

According to official reports, 52 houses were fully destroyed, 105 severely damaged, and 283 partially damaged. Additionally, 125 cattle sheds and five religious structures suffered significant damage.

The calamity also led to the loss of 248 animals, further impacting the livelihoods of the local population, the officials said.

On Wednesday, Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma conducted an on-site inspection of Kuntwara-Ohli Road in Drabshalla Block and Kishtwar-Thathri stretch of the highway to review the progress of ongoing restoration works.

He warned that any delay or lapse would attract strict accountability, while emphasizing that restoring all-weather connectivity is of paramount importance.

The officials said agricultural losses were substantial, with 1,000 kanals of crop land and 1,002 kanals of horticulture land being severely affected.

Infrastructure took a major hit as well as four bridges were damaged. Besides, 29 panchayat ghars and community information centre buildings were also affected due to the disaster.

Authorities evacuated 210 people from vulnerable areas to ensure their safety, the officials said.

Rescue and relief operations, led by Deputy Commissioner Sharma, were swift and timely, not only saving lives but also preventing widespread infrastructure damage, they said.

Assessment teams are conducting ground-level surveys to determine the full extent of the devastation, the officials added. PTI AB AB KVK KVK