Jammu, September 30, 2025 – The monsoon gods seem to have finally taken a breather over our Dogra lands, with the relentless downpours that turned streets into rivers easing off by early morning today. But for the thousands of folks in Jammu city and beyond – from the bustling auto stands of New Plot to the quiet villages along the Tawi – the scars of last week’s fury are far from healed. As the sun peeked through patchy clouds around 8 AM, casting a tentative glow on the debris-strewn banks of the swollen river, railway officials confirmed what many had dreaded: 68 trains, lifelines connecting us to the rest of India, remain canceled until September 30. That’s today, mind you, and while 24 services are set to chug back to life soon, the uncertainty hangs heavy like the mist over the Shivaliks.
Those frantic days from August 26 When the heavens opened up with 380 mm of rain – the heaviest since 1910 – washing away bridges, burying homes, and stranding pilgrims bound for Vaishno Devi? The Jammu-Srinagar highway, our vital artery, caved in at a 60-meter stretch near Udhampur, and rail tracks in the Pathankot division turned into muddy traps. Families like the Sharmas from Talab Tillo, who run a small kirana shop, spent nights huddled with neighbors, watching floodwaters lap at their doorsteps. “We couldn’t even get milk for the kids,” recalls Rajni Sharma, 42, as she sorts through damp stock this afternoon near the high court. “Trains stopped, roads closed – it felt like the world ended at our mohalla.” Northern Railway’s Pathankot division, hit hardest, diverted or axed services to prioritize safety, leaving over 5,000 passengers – many headed to weddings or medical check-ups in Delhi – cooling their heels at Satwari station.
By yesterday evening, around 6 PM at the divisional railway manager’s office in Jammu, a partial thaw emerged. Officials announced the resumption of key routes: the Vande Bharat Express, that sleek silver arrow zipping between Jammu and Delhi, is slated to roar back on October 1, a day after our deadline. Shuttle services between Jammu Tawi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra – two pairs of trains inducted just for this crisis – have already ferried 5,784 stranded souls since September 1. “We’re running them like clockwork to clear the backlog,” said a harried PR official, mopping his brow under the fluorescent buzz of the control room. “Jammu-Kolkata and Katra-New Delhi lines are operational too, but full normalcy? Give us till the week’s end.” Among the canceled: the Himgiri Express (12332) from Jammu to Howrah, out till September 18; the Amarnath Express duo (15097/12588) through October; and the Patna-Jammu Archana (12355), grounded till month-end. It’s a hit to the pocket – fruit traders from Akhnoor, hauling apples to Punjab markets, have lost lakhs in spoilage.
But amid the gloom, glimmers of community grit shine through, the kind that makes Jammu feel like one big joint family. Yesterday afternoon, near the flooded Raghunath Temple ghat, volunteers from the local RSS shakha distributed hot khichdi and blankets to 200-odd folks still bunking in relief camps. “Faith keeps us going,” said organizer Vinod Gupta, 55, a retired teacher from Bakshi Nagar, handing out packets with a reassuring pat. “We’ve seen worse – remember ’94 floods? We rebuilt then; we’ll do it now.” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a video call from Srinagar around noon today, echoed that resolve: “Round-the-clock monitoring, swift evacuations – no one left behind. The highway’s open for stragglers; rails will follow.” His words landed like a balm, especially after the Vaishno Devi tragedy last week, where 38 lives – including 11 from Uttar Pradesh – were lost to landslides on the yatra route.
For everyday residents like autorickshaw driver Mohan Lal, 48, who idles near the bus stand with his meter off, it’s about piecing life back. “No trains mean no tourists, no fares from the station,” he sighs, fiddling with his rosary. “My boy’s studying in Chandigarh; when does he come home?” The economic ripple? Tourism, our bread-and-butter, dips as cancellations mount – hotels in Katra report 70% vacancies, pashmina weavers in the old city twiddle thumbs. Yet, as evening prayers echo from the temples, there’s a quiet optimism. Relief teams from the NDRF, wrapping ops by dusk, shared stories of rescues: a BSF jawan swept away in Akhnoor flash floods, miraculously pulled to safety; four more bodies recovered from the Tawi’s muddy embrace. “Nature tests us, but we endure,” one rescuer quipped over chai.
As the clock ticks toward midnight, with the last shuttle puffing out from Jammu Tawi, we hold our breath. Tomorrow’s October – a new month, perhaps new tracks cleared. For now, in the heart of Jammu, where floodwaters recede but spirits rise, it’s a reminder: we’re tougher than the tempests that batter us. Grab that extra blanket tonight, neighbors; brighter dawns await.