JK News Today
Jammu, July 13: A representation has been submitted to the District Administration of Anantnag seeking stronger cloudburst preparedness and early warning measures in Pahalgam after the twin cloudbursts that struck Awoora/Dehwathu in Pahalgam and Chatergul in Shangus on July 11.
The representation states that heavy rainfall between around 6 pm and 9:30 pm caused the Overa Nallah to swell rapidly around 8 pm, flooding several hotels and houses, damaging a stretch of the Pahalgam–Awoora–Bijbehara road, and disrupting power and water supply. While no lives were lost due to the timely response of local residents and hotel staff, it says the incident exposed the area’s vulnerability to sudden cloudbursts.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Meteorological Centre, Srinagar had issued general warnings of heavy rain, thunderstorms, flash floods and landslides for July 11–12. However, since cloudbursts cannot be predicted at a specific location or time, the representation stresses the need for stronger local preparedness.
Among the key suggestions are installation of automatic rain gauges and water level sensors with alarms on major streams, SMS and WhatsApp alerts to hotels and tour operators during weather warnings, hazard mapping of flood-prone areas, restrictions on new construction near streams, regular desilting of channels and culverts, deployment of SDRF/NDRF or trained rescue teams during the monsoon, and mandatory evacuation plans and mock drills for hotels.
The representation also calls for better coordination between weather agencies and the district administration, along with a technical assessment of the July 11 cloudbursts. It urges the concerned departments to prepare a time bound action plan before the remainder of the monsoon season.
