SRINAGAR: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday assured that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will take over the crucial Kishtwar-Chashoti road in view of the heavy pilgrim rush to Shri Machail Mata Ji Shrine and the devastation caused by the August 14 cloudburst at Chashoti in Kishtwar district. He also agreed to the demand for setting up an Army Goodwill School at the tragedy-hit site, where 65 people were killed and 32 remain missing.
Singh, who arrived in Jammu after his plane from New Delhi developed a mid-air technical snag, could not proceed to Chashoti as scheduled due to bad weather and fresh landslides on the route. Instead, he visited the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu to enquire about the condition of 16 injured survivors undergoing treatment. Accompanied by Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Defence Minister praised the doctors for their care and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally monitoring the situation.
Later, at Raj Bhawan in Jammu, Singh chaired a high-level review meeting on the post-disaster situation with Dr Jitendra Singh, Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, senior Army officials, and top civil administrators. Officials from Gulabgarh, near the disaster site, joined through video conferencing. Singh said the Central Government was leaving “no stone unturned” in providing relief and rehabilitation. “It is heartening to note that the State Administration, Army, NDRF, SDRF and J&K Police have done excellent work during the crisis,” he posted on X, confirming that weather had prevented him from reaching Chashoti.
The Defence Minister assured that the BRO’s takeover of the Kishtwar-Chashoti road would not only facilitate future relief operations but also meet the requirements of the Machail Mata pilgrimage, which was drawing crowds close to those visiting the Amarnath shrine before the calamity struck. The existing road had been built under the PMGSY scheme, but an under-construction bridge at Chashoti was washed away in the flash floods triggered by the cloudburst.
He also confirmed that mobile towers were being restored and more were planned for the area, while water and electricity supply had been restored in most villages. “The Prime Minister is very concerned about the recent cloudburst in Kishtwar. I had planned to visit the spot, but couldn’t due to inclement weather and landslides. We are, however, in constant touch with the people through video conferencing,” Singh told reporters in Jammu.
The August 14 disaster struck Chashoti, the last motorable village on the route to Machail Mata temple, when a sudden cloudburst unleashed torrents of water and debris. Besides the human toll, the floods damaged a makeshift market, a langar site, 16 houses, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre-long bridge, several government buildings, and more than a dozen vehicles. Over 100 people were injured, and search teams are still combing the area for those missing. Drones, sniffer dogs, and heavy machinery are being used, though in several cases, only body parts have been found, necessitating DNA testing for identification.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also visited GMC Jammu on Sunday, reiterated the administration’s commitment to trace the missing. “Government stands firmly with the bereaved family members who have lost their loved ones. Search and rescue operations are underway on a war footing,” he told reporters, adding that advisories had been issued in view of fresh weather threats.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced that a National Mission had been launched to study cloudbursts in the Himalayan states and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir. “While it can’t be predicted when and where a cloudburst will occur, the mission will work on forewarning mechanisms so that people in vulnerable areas can be alerted. The type of moisture and rains can help in developing predictive tools,” he said. Singh, who had earlier visited Chashoti, said the mission would also help build long-term resilience under the Himalayan Ecosystem Sustainability initiative.
The Udhampur-Kathua-Doda MP confirmed that an Air Quality Study Centre had been set up at Natha Top, and a new Regional IMD Centre was being established in Jammu for more precise forecasting. He said, “Every possible resource is being deployed to trace the missing and assist survivors.”
Meanwhile, special prayers were held at the Machail Mata temple in memory of those who perished. Survivors recalled terrifying scenes of floodwaters and debris engulfing the valley, sweeping away homes, pilgrims’ tents, and markets in minutes.
Even as relief and rehabilitation efforts intensify, officials admitted that the tragedy has once again exposed the vulnerability of Himalayan communities to sudden weather events. The coming weeks are expected to focus not only on search operations and aid but also on longer-term resilience measures, including BRO’s role in road strengthening and the establishment of an Army Goodwill School at Chashoti to anchor community rebuilding.
