New Delhi:  Torrential monsoon rains have unleashed widespread devastation across the Himalayan region, triggering deadly landslides, flash floods, and mass displacement in both India and Pakistan. The calamity has claimed dozens of lives in northern India, forced the evacuation of more than 150,000 people in Pakistan, and disrupted critical infrastructure on both sides of the border.

In India, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been worst hit, with at least 36 people killed in the past 24 hours. A major landslide along the pilgrimage route to the Vaishno Devi shrine buried 33 people, while flash floods in Doda district claimed three more lives. Rainfall levels in Jammu reached 612 millimeters between August 23 and 27, the highest recorded since 1950. Earlier this month, flash floods in Kishtwar had already left 60 dead and more than 200 missing.

The heavy downpour has also caused the collapse of bridges and highways, including the Madhopur barrage, which sent vehicles plunging into floodwaters. Communications remain severely disrupted, with mobile and landline networks almost entirely down. Authorities have suspended schools across Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab, while the Indian Army and disaster response forces continue large-scale rescue operations. Weather officials warn of more heavy rain and thunderstorms in the coming days.

Across the border, Pakistan is battling severe flooding in Punjab province after India released excess water from upstream dams. More than 167,000 people have been displaced, with thousands evacuated from low-lying villages along the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers. Relief camps supported by the Pakistan Army are sheltering families, while schools have been shut until August 30 as a precaution.

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has reported that monsoon-related disasters have killed over 800 people nationwide since late June, with nearly half of the deaths occurring in August. Officials caution that the next 48 hours will be critical as river levels continue to rise and further rainfall is forecast.

Experts attribute the severity of this year’s monsoon to climate change, which has intensified extreme weather events in the Himalayan region. Catastrophic cloudbursts and flash floods have struck both India and Pakistan in recent weeks, compounding the humanitarian crisis.

With entire villages submerged, critical services cut off, and cross-border water flows increasing tensions, the disaster underscores the urgent need for regional cooperation in flood management and climate resilience.

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