By Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu: At a time when memories of the tragic cloudburst at Chishoti Padder—where 71 people lost their lives while 31 remain missing—are still fresh, the flood-ravaged Margi village of Warwan Tehsil in Kishtwar district is reeling from devastation. On 26th August 2025, twin cloudbursts struck the village of 3,000 people, comprising around 400 houses. As a result, nearly 50 houses were completely destroyed, about 150 houses suffered severe damage, and 50–60 houses were partially damaged.
The disaster is not new to the village with around 180 homes reduces to ashes in a fire incident in the village in 2007 and this time the fresh disaster threatening the existence of the village as whole area got flattened with mud, boulders and same take months to be cleared.
Villagers are now pinning their hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected to visit J&K to oversee the damage caused by flash floods and cloudbursts, which destroyed thousands of houses, roads, and bridges across the Union Territory.
The village’s misery did not end there. On 2nd September 2025, another flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall washed away around a dozen more homes. The residents, mostly dependent on agriculture and daily labor, say their wounds have only deepened. Out of the entire population, barely 6–7 individuals are government employees.
Since Margi lies in a remote part of Kishtwar district, lacking proper road connectivity and communication, timely information and relief were hard to access. The devastation was not limited to Margi—floods also ravaged around 15 districts of J&K, while Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand witnessed cloudbursts, floods, and landslides, leaving thousands homeless.
Margi village lies 200 km from the district headquarters, with access only through Sinthan Pass (12,500 ft) or Margan Top (11,000 ft). This makes immediate government intervention difficult. It took ten days for senior administration officials to reach the village.
While talking to News Insider 24X7, Local resident Muzzafar Hussain Lone recalled: “There was hue and cry everywhere when the twin cloudbursts struck. Before people understood what was happening, they could only save their lives. They lost everything else—their homes, belongings, and livestock including cows, oxen, sheep, and goats.”
He alleged that the administration failed the victims. “Nearly over a month has passed, yet the Lieutenant Governor or Chief Minister Omar Abdullah—the head of J&K—is yet to visit. The government has not even prepared a proper list of the affected families. Several names are missing, despite entire households being destroyed.”
Muzzafar’s elderly mother narrated with trembling hands: “I spent the night on a heap of grass after flood water and mud struck the village. I saw water and mudslides rushing towards us—it was sheer mayhem.”
Villagers expressed serious concern over delays in finalizing a rehabilitation plan. They accused politicians and officials of visiting only for photo-ops while offering little real help. Only a handful of families have received financial aid; most remain uncompensated.
One villager, a father of four, said: “We are three brothers living in the same house. The government gave compensation only to my elder brother. I lost my home and shop, but they refused to treat me as a separate household.”
Locals alleged that officials deliberately underestimated the number of affected households. They demanded a high-level team to properly assess damages.
Sajjad Hussain, a government teacher told News Insider 24X7 that he and his colleagues rescued dozens of villagers and students during the disaster. “It was beyond imagination. Everyone ran for cover. Animals floated in the floodwater, houses were uprooted, agricultural fields washed away, and fruit-bearing trees—mostly walnuts—vanished within minutes. The village was flattened within 10–15 minutes.”
Retired teacher Ghulam Mohiuddin Mehru added that “Our area is prone to avalanches, but we never imagined such a tragedy. Around 500 kanals of land have been washed away. Only a special package from the Prime Minister can rebuild the village. Frankly, it may not be possible to resettle here; the debris and boulders filling the houses will take months and huge money to clear. The government should relocate us to safer ground.”
Meanwhile, the corpses of over 150–200 cattle and livestock still lie in the area, raising fears of epidemic outbreak.
Where the administration failed, local NGOs stepped in. Adil Hussain Sheikh, head of Tariq Memorial Charitable Organisation, said: “We distributed relief kits including rice, flour, utensils, quilts, and blankets to 255 families. But the losses on the ground are far worse than initially estimated.” Volunteers like Tahir Dar and Burhan Mir of NGO Ababeel confirmed that more than 450 families require urgent support, not just 255.
As winter approaches, with 8–10 feet of snowfall and temperatures dropping to –20°C, residents fear they will not survive without urgent rehabilitation and relocation.
The area on Oct 6 & 7 witnessed season fresh snowfall adding more miseries to the sufferings of the people living in tents.
“The tents in which the poor villagers started living after the cloudburst too collapsed due to fresh snowfall- there is immediate steps needed to be taken to shift the affacted people to some safe places” said Muzzafar Lone. He said that the winters are too harsh to live in during next 5-6 months under normal circumstances, what to image when they have lost everything other then what the people wear at the time disaster hit the village.
Among the victims are around 300 schoolchildren from Margi’s primary and high schools. Touseef Iqbal Butt, Child Protection Officer Kishtwar, said: “We will seek details from the education department and provide assistance to the affected children on a case-by-case basis.”
Meanwhile, villagers are demanding solar power units, as the area is off-grid and previously dependent on limited solar supply.
One woman, who lost everything, now cooks under a tin sheet. “My husband was a laborer. Whatever he earned in life, we lost in this disaster. I have nowhere to go with my children. We beg the government and NGOs to help us.” She says.
Warwan area with 13 villages having a population of around 15000 is know for its scenic beauty- but the poor road connectivity, ignorance by successive governments & non availability of the communication keeps the tourist away. With Kishtwar-Marwah road under construction since last over 4 decades, the whole area gets disconnected from the rest of the country for 4-5 months in winters; The locals demanded immediate construction of Matigowran -Inshan Tunnel as well as Chanjer-Bonda Tunnel which is the only hope for people to get connected with District Headquarter.
