HM Amit Shah reviews flood-hit areas in Jammu

September 1, 2025 by News Desk

Photo/ KNO

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday toured several flood-affected areas of Jammu to assess the damage and review ongoing relief measures, officials said.

Accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Shah stopped at the Tawi bridge near Bikram Chowk to inspect damage along the riverbanks. He also visited Manguchak, the worst-hit village in the district.

The home minister had arrived in Jammu late Sunday. Later today, he is expected to conduct an aerial survey of affected areas and chair two high-level meetings at Raj Bhawan, one on flood relief operations and another on the impact of flash floods on the border security grid.

Since August 14, over 130 people have died and 33 remain missing following a series of cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods across Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban districts. Record rainfall on August 26–27 further inundated low-lying areas, causing heavy damage to infrastructure.

Among the casualties were 34 pilgrims killed by a landslide on their way to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on August 26.

This marks Shah’s second visit to Jammu in three months. His last trip was on May 29, shortly after Indian forces carried out missile strikes on cross-border terror infrastructure in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had also visited the region on August 24 to review the flood situation. However, his planned trip to Chisoti village in Kishtwar, where 65 people, mostly pilgrims, were killed in flash floods on August 1, was cancelled due to bad weather and fresh landslides.