JAMMU: The Army has come to the rescue of civil administration in J&K, constructing Bailey bridges to restore road connectivity and facilitate the movement of essential supplies in two areas of Jammu division where vital infrastructure was away in the recent floods, even as incessant rains continued to disrupt normal life.In Ramban district, the troops will build a Bailey bridge at Batti, where a stretch of road was washed away by the flash floods in the Chenab River, affecting connectivity to Gool subdivision, parts of adjoining Ramban tehsil and several strategic national projects.Officials said Ramban deputy commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan and the commander of Rashtriya Rifles, 11 Sector, Chanderkote, had on Monday conducted an extensive inspection of the Karoal-Maitra-Gool Road at Batti.Army engineers are constructing another Bailey bridge over Jangalwar Nallah in Doda district. In a post on X, Defence PRO (Jammu) Lt-Col Suneel Bartwal said NH-244, the lifeline to Doda and Kishtwar districts, was washed away near Thatri, crippling mobility and cutting off villages.Engineer troops of the White Knight Corps were carrying out mobilisation of bridging stores and laying of the Bailey bridge at Jangalwar stream, aiming to restore partial connectivity at the earliest, Lt-Col Bartwal said, adding that traffic control by J&K Police was ensuring smooth progress of the restoration efforts. On Aug 29, the Army engineers had built a 100ft Bailey bridge over the Tawi River in Jammu in less than 12 hours.Yatra to the Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the eighth consecutive day after fresh rainfall was witnessed in Katra and Trikuta hills of Reasi district. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway also remained suspended on Tuesday after heavy rains triggered fresh mudslides and shooting of stones from the hills at various places between Samroli and Banihal sector.The Directorate of School Education announced the closure of all educational institutes across Jammu division on Sept 3 in view of the weather advisory regarding the possibility of heavy rainfall, landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts.SDRF teams issued warnings to people living near Tawi banks to stay away from the river as the water level was rising.
