Roaring Tawi River strikes fear in Jammu residents

Jammu, Aug 27 (PTI) A roaring Tawi River, popularly known as Surya Putri, has struck fear in Jammu residents.

Swollen by record-breaking rain, the river inundated hundreds of homes and hectares of farmland, washed away structures and livestock, and displaced over 6,000 people, all within a day.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said that the 24-hour rainfall recorded in Jammu was 296 mm, breaking a 52-year-old record of 272.6 mm set on August 9, 1973.

By Tuesday dawn, the calm river had turned into a raging torrent, submerging low-lying localities, particularly riverbank colonies of Peerkho, Gujjar Nagar, Gurkha Nagar and others. Streets became waterways, prompting large-scale rescue operations amid panic across the 'city of temples.' "We have never seen Tawi in such a furious and devastating mood. A calm river was roaring like a lion, and people feared it would breach its banks and bury the city," said Shivanand, a priest at a Shiv temple near the river.

Peerkho, among the worst-hit areas, was left strewn with half-buried vehicles, debris, boulders and uprooted trees. More than 300 people, including children clinging to their mothers and the elderly too frail to walk, were pulled out in desperate rescue operations. But fear still lingered.

Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Peerkho, recalled his escape in trembling words. "I came back from the jaws of death," he said, clutching his crying children. "Our house was swallowed up to the roof. My family of four clung to the terrace, praying to Mata Kali at Bahu Fort. When the water touched our feet, we thought the river would take us with it. The police came in time. That was Mata's hand." As Singh's family waded out, their hearts broke to see their belongings — fridge, utensils, bedding — being carried away by the raging current.

Fear writ large on the faces of residents living along the river, even as the Tawi's waters receded rapidly.

Not far away, 65-year-old Anwar watched his life's earnings wash away in Gujjar Nagar.

"I have lived by Tawi all my life, but never seen her so angry," he said. "A wall of water smashed into our drawing room. We barely escaped, seven of us, running to the bridge and watching our home crumble. If it had been night, so many of us would not be alive." Officials said 5,000–6,000 people were evacuated from 17 locations by the army, NDRF, SDRF, police and locals. For the first time, NDRF used boats in Jammu city to rescue the stranded.

"I have never seen Jammu underwater like this in my life," said Karam Chand, a senior citizen from Gajansoo.

The floods spared no one—rich or poor, young or old.

In the Bahu Fort area, Amit's voice shook as he stood near the ruins of his house.

"Our home collapsed before our eyes," he whispered. "My father told us to leave minutes before the landslide hit. That advice saved our lives. But everything is gone — our roof, our memories, our shelter. Where do we go now?" he wondered.

Officials estimate that 2,000–3,000 houses and several commercial establishments have been submerged in dozens of localities, while livestock losses are also extensive.

The IMD said a similar rainfall in Jammu was nearly a century ago, when 228.6 mm of rain pounded the region over 24 hours on August 5, 1926.

At least 45 people have died so far in floods and landslides in Doda and Katra.

The Surya Putri has always been the lifeline of Jammu.

As waters recede, the people of Jammu are left to count their losses, rebuild their lives, and carry within them the haunting memory of a river's wrath. PTI AB VN VN