Ramban: Newlywed Nazir Ahmad and Zaheera Bano were expecting a smooth ride into their marital life.
But as they trudged through sludge and debris-filled roads of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district brought in by cloudburst-triggered flash floods and landslides, the resolute couple in wedding attire was on cloud nine, insisting the experience solidified their bond.
“It was tiring but, in a way, it made the day even more special,” said Ahmad.
Like Ahmad and Zaheera, many newlywed couples had to face a similar ordeal a day after calamity hit the district, blocking the arterial Jammu-Srinagar national highway and rendering many other roads impassable.
Sunil Kumar led his wedding processing, complete with ‘band-baaja’, on foot through muck to the bride’s residence.
To the surprise of many who assembled near Usman Hotel in the Ramban old highway market to have a look at the devastation caused by the flash floods, Kumar descended from the hilltop village accompanied by over three dozen people who were part of the procession.
“We are helpless before nature and since the date of our marriage has been fixed long back, we decided to go ahead with it,” he said as he moved through the ravages caused by landslides.
Nazir Ahmad and his bride were in luck as a few Army personnel gave them a lift in their vehicle to make their journey from Bano’s Chenani home to his Ramban residence a bit easier. “We have another four kilometres to go before we reach our destination,” he said, thanking the Army for extending a helping hand.
Through her bright red veil, Bano said they had been walking for more than one hour but it was not that exhausting, thanks to the pleasant weather.
Mashkoor Ahmad, a resident of Neel, grabbed eyeballs as he along with his family members walked to Hamand Kamra village early in the morning to formalise his ‘Nikkah’. He said that they left home around 6 am.
“I have to walk six kilometres more,” he said, adding they plan to return on foot along with the bride.
Three persons, including two minor siblings, were killed and more than 100 people were rescued after heavy rainfall and cloudbursts triggered flash floods, landslides and mudslides and caused massive damage to infrastructure, including roads and residential buildings, in Ramban district.
Hundreds of vehicles were left stranded on the strategic 250-kilometre Jammu-Srinagar National Highway — the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country — while many were buried under the debris.
Efforts are underway to provide alternative road connectivity through the Mughal Road and the Sinthan Top road to the Kashmir valley as restoration of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway could take time due to the massive damage, an official said.
“About 10 to 12 villages, including Seri, Bagna, Panote and Khari, have suffered varying degrees of damage and our teams are on the ground to make a complete assessment so that the affected population are provided relief,” Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) Ramesh Kumar said.–(Agencies)
