SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir is in a lot of trouble because of the heavy monsoon rains that have hit the area. These rains have caused the water levels in rivers and streams to climb a lot. The torrential rain, which also affected portions of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, has caused landslides, made it hard to communicate, and caused more deaths.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has turned on intra-circle roaming (ICR) in the areas that were affected by the communication blackout. This step lets mobile customers connect to any network, no matter who their service provider is, so they can keep in touch. The DoT said that the ICR activation would stay in force until September 2.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah talked about the difficult conditions on social media, saying that he was having trouble with “almost non-existent communication” and felt “so disconnected” after the floods in 2014. He couldn’t go to Jammu since the airport was closed, so he’s been keeping an eye on things from afar.
The floods have caused a lot of damage and loss of life:
Seven people perished in Jammu after a landslide blocked the road to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Four more people died in Doda district because of rain-related accidents.
The Tawi and Chenab rivers have risen to dangerous levels, thus the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been called in to help with rescue and relief efforts.
The Jhelum River in the Kashmir Valley also reached the danger level, which is why Kashmir University put off all of its tests.
Many trains have been cancelled and travel on major routes, like the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways, has been stopped because of the constant rain.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that thunderstorms and heavy rain will continue in the area and told people to keep away from rivers and other bodies of water. The rains are likely to stop soon, but the government is still getting ready for more relief work. The army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are in charge of getting hundreds of people out of low-lying areas.