Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha assesses flood damage in J&K’s Rajouri and Poonch districts

On a damp July morning in 2026, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha drove into the heart of Jammu & Kashmir’s most water‑logged corners – the districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The sky was still heavy with clouds, and the low‑lying streets of Rajouri town were already turning into shallow rivers.

As he stepped out of the official convoy, Sinha paused at the makeshift relief centre set up inside the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Rajouri. The hall, normally echoing with teenage chatter, now housed families whose homes had been swallowed by water. "We are here to listen, to act, and to reassure the people that they are not alone," he told a small gathering of residents and local officials.

He then moved on to the Haveli and Surankote blocks of Poonch, where flash floods had carved temporary channels through fields and roads. The terrain was stark – mud‑laden mud‑flaps, stranded vehicles, and volunteers shuffling sandbags in frantic rhythm. Sinha’s team, comprising police, army units, the State Disaster Response Force and local volunteers, were already in the thick of rescue operations.

In a brief post on X, the Lieutenant Governor expressed his grief over the suffering and ordered that every affected family receive food, shelter and medical aid without delay. He also instructed district administrations to keep a real‑time line of communication open, urging people to stay calm, follow official updates and avoid risky shortcuts through flood‑water.

While the exact toll of the disaster remains unclear, the swift coordination of rescue crews and the establishment of the relief centre signal a proactive response. Authorities hope that early intervention will limit further loss and help displaced residents rebuild their lives once the waters recede.