J-K: Heavy landslides damage Thannamandi-DKG-Bufliaz road; BRO continues restoration on war-footing

RAJOURI (Jammu and Kashmir): Heavy rainfall and a subsequent cloudburst on July 19 triggered massive landslides that severely damaged the Thannamandi-DKG-Bufliaz Road, a key Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project vital for connecting the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley.

The downpour triggered flash floods that washed away several stretches of the newly constructed road, culverts, and heavy trees at multiple locations between Thannamandi and Bufliaz. The road remains closed for traffic even after 13 days, with vehicles being diverted through the BG (Bimber Gali) route.

Meanwhile, the site engineer of the private road construction company, Waqar Choudhary, announced that the flood-damaged road will reopen within two days, despite massive damage caused by recent flash floods. “Work on this road is at its final stage; only about 8-10 per cent of the work remains. Due to the flash floods, a very large loss has occurred, as you can see from the coverage. Machinery has been deployed everywhere for the work, and we will open the road within two days”, he said.

#WATCH | Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir | Massive damage to the newly constructed Thannamandi–DKG–Bufliaz road, a key (BRO) project connecting the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch and with the Kashmir Valley via DKG, due to flash floods and landslides; BRO continues restoration… pic.twitter.com/E6CDmMumxp

— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2026

Rafiq Khan, a local, advised the people coming from Rajouri and Poonch districts to take the Bimber Gali route to avoid any risks “People from Rajouri and Poonch have no other way to come to Thannamandi and Bufliaz right now; it will take another 2-4 days for the road to open. We advise them to take the BG route and avoid taking risks here. As you can see, the entire road from Dehra Gali to Bufliaz is heavily damaged. BRO was doing a great job, and about 90% of the work was complete, but this rain and sliding caused massive damage to both the government and BRO,” he said.

He urged the government to manage the Dehra Gali-Thannamandi stretch, which has been badly damaged. He added that the tunnels would greatly benefit the region if sanctioned by the government.

“We urge the Delhi government and authorities to look after this road, especially the major stretch from Dehra Gali to Thannamandi. If they had sanctioned tunnels here, it would have been much better, saving the forest and preventing such extensive damage. Even today, if the government builds tunnels, it would provide long-term convenience and benefits. The entire 11-kilometre road is completely damaged, and visiting every spot shows how massive trees have been uprooted and washed away across the entire stretch,” he said

Abdul Hameed, another local, appealed to the BRO to reopen the road quickly so that people can start commuting. “Our main appeal to the BRO is to deploy machinery as soon as possible to clean up the road so that it can be opened quickly. Many people travel here for work, including employees who commute towards Bufliaz and others who travel back and forth for their jobs, causing everyone to face severe distress. The recent heavy rainfall and floods have caused massive devastation. Although BRO’s machinery is deployed and they are actively working on it, we hope the road will be cleared and opened for traffic within a day or two,” he said.

The Border Roads Organisation is carrying out restoration work on a war footing to reopen the road. However, officials said that due to the extensive damage caused by the flash floods and cloudburst, the reopening of the road is likely to take more time.

The road construction project was in its final stage of completion before the natural disaster caused widespread destruction, severely affecting connectivity between Rajouri, Poonch, and the Kashmir Valley. (ANI)