| Formed | 28 July 2021 |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 26 Deaths (approx. 18 missing in the floods), 17 Critical injuries |
| Damage | Many houses, shops, and local infrastructure |
| Areas affected |  India |
A cloudburst occurred on 28 July 2021 in Hunzar hamlet in the Dachhan area of the Kishtwar district in Jammu & Kashmir, resulting in 26 deaths and 17 injuries.
As per reports, 7 dead bodies were recovered while 19 were not found in the initial days following the cloudburst. [1] As of October 5, 2021, one out of the 19 missing was found after more than 70 days, while 18 others remain missing. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] In April 2023, after the ruling of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, the government declared the 18 missing persons as dead. [8]
A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation in a short period of time, sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder, which is capable of creating flood conditions. Cloudbursts can quickly dump large amounts of water, e.g. 25 mm of the precipitation corresponds to 25,000 metric tons per square kilometre. However, cloudbursts are infrequent as they occur only via the orographic lift or occasionally when a warm air parcel mixes with cooler air, resulting in sudden condensation. At times, a large amount of runoff from higher elevations is mistakenly conflated with a cloudburst. The term "cloudburst" arose from the notion that clouds were akin to water balloons and could burst, resulting in rapid precipitation. Though this idea has since been disproven, the term remains in use.
The Chenab River is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The Chenab flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before ultimately flowing into the Indus River.
Doda district is a district in the eastern part of Jammu Division in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. A cave situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft), about 168 km from Anantnag city, the district headquarters, 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, reached through either Sonamarg or Pahalgam. The shrine represents an important part of Hinduism. The cave, located in Sind Valley, is surrounded by glaciers, snowy mountains and is covered with snow most of the year, except for a short period in the summer, when it is open to pilgrims. In 1989, pilgrims numbered between 12,000 and 30,000. In 2011, the numbers reached a peak, crossing 6.3 lakh (630,000) pilgrims. In 2018 pilgrims numbered 2.85 lakh (285,000). The annual pilgrimage has varied between 20 and 60 days.
Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar District in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007. and is located in the Jammu division. The town of Kishtwar is situated at a distance of 211.5 km (131.4 mi) from the winter capital of Jammu. A large ground locally called as Chowgan ground is located in the heart of the town. Kishtwar is bordered by the Anantnag and Doda districts in the west and northwest, by the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh in the south and the Kargil district of Ladakh in the east and northeast.
The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of the Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, making it the world's highest rail bridge. In November 2017, the base supports were declared completed allowing for the start of the construction of the main arch. The bridge was fully completed and was inaugurated in August 2022.
Ramban district is a district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, located in the lap of the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. The district headquarters are at Ramban town, which is located midway between Jammu and Srinagar along the Chenab river in the Chenab valley on National Highway-44, approximately 151 km from Jammu and Srinagar.
Kishtwar district is a district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. As of 2011, it is the largest and the least populous district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Machail chandi Mata temple is a Goddess Durga shrine popularly known as Machail Mata. It is in the village Machail of Sub Division Paddar, from where it derives its name, in Kishtwar District of Jammu region in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It may be noted that Goddess Durga is also known by the name Kaali or Chandi.
The Chenab Valley is a river valley formed by the Chenab River. The term is also used collectively for Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts of Jammu Division in Jammu and Kashmir, India. These districts were formerly part of a single district, called Doda.
Thathri is a town and a notified area committee in Doda district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Thathri valley is located in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, about 85 km from Batote. Apart from having ample forests, the town contains many small streams flowing through its various parts. It is located on the banks of the Chenab River and the town area is spread over 1.50 sq. Km².
The Warwan Valley is a Himalayan sub-valley and a tehsil in Kishtwar District in the Jammu division in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The Valley lies 68 kilometres (42 mi) northeast of Kishtwar and 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, and between India and China since 1962. The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory.
The 1992 India–Pakistan floods was a deadly flood caused by a five days long heavy monsoon rains and severe weather that occurred on 7 September 1992 across the north-Pakistan of Azad Kashmir, North-West Frontier Province and Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. Severe floods left at least 2,496 fatalities, including 2,000 deaths in Pakistan administered state, 296 in Punjab province, and 200 in northern India with several others missing. The floods swept away more than 12,672 villages and several people were buried alive due to landslides near mountains. Punjab, that shares its borders with Azad Kashmir, suffered a heavy agriculture loss in its economic history.
Ababeel (ابابیل), also known as Ababeel NGO is a charitable trust that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, food kits and blood donations for needy, poor, orphan and widows and also in emergency in the Chenab Valley's Doda, Kishtwar, Thathri, Bhaderwah, Gandoh and also in Jammu area. The organization assists people irrespective of caste and religion. It is the registered with Sub Registrar Court Doda.
The Chenab Times is an independent multilingual digital news organisation in India founded in 2017. It is known for publishing news in lesser-known languages, including Sarazi, Bhaderwahi and Gojri.
Village Defence Guards (VDGs) formerly known as Village Defence Committees is a civilian militia first established in the mid-1990s in the Chenab Valley area of the disputed Indian administered territory ofJammu and Kashmir for the self-defence of locals, especially Hindus, in remote hilly villages against militancy. It consist of villagers as well as police officers. The VDGs have been accused of numerous human rights violations including dozens of murder and rape cases.
Bhalessa is a geographical area within Doda district in the Jammu region of India-administered Kashmir. It consists of the Bunjwah and Bhalessa Valleys, and comprises the three Tehsils of Kahara, Chilly Pingal and Gandoh.
Marwah is a valley and sub-division in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Marwah is surrounded by the Warwan valley to the southwest, Ladakh and Zanskar to the east, Chatroo and Kishtwar to the south, and Anantnag in the west. The area is drained by river Marusudar, which is the largest tributary of Chenab.
The 2023 Rajouri attacks occurred on 1 and 2 January 2023, respectively at the Dangri village of Rajouri district of the disputed Indian administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The first attack, a shooting, resulted in the death of four and injured nine others. In the second attack, an IED exploded near the same attack site, resulting in the death of a child at the scene and injuring five others. A second child injured in that blast died from injuries, raising the overall death toll to six.