by Sajid Raina
SRINAGAR: What began as a routine journey turned into devastation for Firdous Ahmad, a Tavera driver from Kema village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, when a landslide triggered by torrential rain near Ramban buried his vehicle under layers of mud. The Tavera, once his family’s sole source of income, now lies mangled and half-submerged along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
In the early hours of Sunday, Firdous had set off for Jammu. As he approached Kailamode around 3:30 am, heavy rains lashed the area, drastically reducing visibility. “The rain had intensified, and we slowed down,” he said. “Just five minutes later, water came gushing in. I was with another driver and told him to get out. We only thought of saving our lives.”
While some vehicles were swept into a nearby gorge, others, including his own, were consumed by thick layers of debris. Firdous’s Tavera did not plunge into the gorge but was entirely submerged in mud, with only a portion of the frame still visible.
A Life Uprooted
With the highway closed and no feasible means of retrieving the vehicle, Firdous returned to Bandipora empty-handed. “That was not just a car—it was our bread and butter,” he said. “I have four small children and an ailing father whose treatment alone costs Rs 4,000 to 5,000 a month. Every rupee we spent came from that car.”
Having worked as a self-employed driver ferrying passengers between Srinagar and Jammu, Firdous now faces an uncertain future. The loss of the vehicle has left him without a source of income. “I do not know how I will manage. I just want to start again.”
The Broader Toll
Firdous’s plight reflects the growing vulnerability of Kashmir’s working class to environmental disasters. As the highway is being cleared for traffic, families like his remain trapped in economic limbo. “We were lucky to survive,” he said. “Others might not be.”
While appealing for public support, Firdous also urged travellers to heed weather advisories. “Conditions can change in minutes,” he cautioned.
