Jammu: Multi-Agency Operation Underway as Tawi River Swells Near Fourth Bridge
As the River Tawi continues to rise in Jammu city, authorities have launched a multi-agency operation to reinforce embankments near the damaged fourth bridge to prevent flooding in low-lying areas.
Heavy rains on August 26 had damaged the road near the fourth Tawi bridge, leaving vehicles stranded on the broken stretch.
“If this area is breached, it could create a major problem. The civil administration, police, and army are actively engaged in preventing that. The engineering wing is also working on it,” Superintendent of Police Ajay Sharma told reporters. Senior officials are closely monitoring the situation.
The breach poses a risk of inundating large parts of the surrounding low-lying areas. Police have advised residents to stay alert and move to safer locations, particularly prioritising women, children, and the elderly.
“There is a possibility of severe flooding if the breach widens. I have instructed people to be vigilant and relocate to safer areas immediately,” the SP said. He added that there is no immediate danger as the operation to secure the area is ongoing.
Army personnel and engineering teams have laid large waterproof covers over much of the breach to prevent further water seepage caused by heavy rains. The damaged road stretch has also been cordoned off with barbed wire.
A nearby low-lying colony lies just 49 to 50 metres from the breach. Residents, including those near Nehru Warehouse, a major business hub, are anxious, with the area housing roughly 7,000 people.
“We didn’t sleep all night as the river was rising rapidly due to heavy rain. Several young men stayed on the road to monitor the Tawi river and the breach,” said Sardar Praduman Singh, whose house is just 70 metres from the affected area. He added that the elderly, women, and children had been sent to relatives’ homes as a precaution.
Jammu city is also facing disruptions on key road routes due to landslides on Panjitirthi-Sidhra road, mudslides on Manda-Nagrota road, and the closure of a bridge on the River Chenab at Akhnoor.
Meanwhile, two houses collapsed in the old city, with three residents rescued. The fourth bridge over the Tawi has been closed again following the rise in floodwaters.
Earlier on Monday, army engineers completed a 12-hour operation to lay a 110-foot Bailey bridge, reconnecting the flood-affected Tawi bridge to restore vehicular traffic on this vital city link. The same bridge had suffered damage at the same spot during the 2024 floods and was subsequently repaired.
