3 min readJammuUpdated: Jul 21, 2026 09:25 PM IST
Heavy rains continued for the third day in large parts of Jammu region on Tuesday, severely disrupting normal life, prompting the state government to extend the school holidays until July 26 in view of the prevailing weather conditions.
“Keeping the safety and well-being of students, teachers and their families as our foremost priority, the summer vacation for all government and recognised private schools in the Kashmir Division and Winter Zones of Jammu Division is hereby extended up to 26th July, 2026,” Education Minister Sakina Ittoo said in a post on X.
The summer vacations were announced on July 6 due to intense heat wave conditions. The schools were scheduled to reopen on July 20.
At least 23 people have died, and seven are missing in rain-related incidents in Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts since Sunday. All major pilgrimages, including Amarnath yatra, Vaishno Devi yatra, Shiv Khori yatra and Machail Mata yatra, remained suspended for the third consecutive day due to persistent downpours, landslides, and the heightened risk of flash floods.
Poonch district recorded 61.5 mm of rainfall, Reasi (54.5 mm), Rajouri (49 mm) and Jammu (35 mm) in the last 24 hours.
Several roads and link roads remained affected due to landslides and shooting stones, while waterlogging disrupted traffic in both urban and rural areas, the officials said, adding restoration work is underway, but fresh rainfall continues to hamper efforts to clear debris and reopen roads.
Amid prediction of moderate to heavy rainfall till July 23, authorities have urged people to exercise extreme caution, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay away from rivers, nallahs, water bodies, and landslide-prone areas.
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In the past two days, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has chaired back-to-back high-level review meetings to assess the flood situation, restoration works and relief measures across the Union Territory, reiterating that the safety and well-being of the people remain the government’s highest priority.
He directed the administration to act proactively, efficiently and with empathy so that no citizen suffers during this critical period, while ensuring speedy restoration of essential services, timely relief to affected families and effective preparedness to deal with any further weather-related challenges.
Meanwhile, Army personnel carried out several operations across the Rajouri-Poonch region to rescue people affected by heavy rainfall, flash floods and infrastructure damage, officials said.
At Jaran Wali Gali, Poonch, the boundary wall of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya collapsed onto several parked vehicles, disrupting movement on the NH-144A. Troops of White Knight Corps reached the site and restored traffic on the national highway.
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Near Khari Karmara, Poonch, a bridge was damaged, disrupting local connectivity. Personnel of the White Knight Corps, BRO and locals undertook urgent restoration work, enabling the resumption of essential movement.
Meanwhile, following a flash flood at Dara Sangla, Poonch, an iron bridge was washed away, isolating the village and restricting access to medical care. An Army medical team provided emergency first aid, treated an injured civilian and administered medicines to locals.
(With PTI inputs)