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Udhampur: Life has come to a standstill for residents of Bant Village in Udhampur District after a key bridge connecting the area was washed away in heavy rainscutting off access to essential services and forcing locals to take desperate measures to cross a river.

Visuals from the area showed villagers carrying an auto rickshaw on their shoulders to navigate the waterway, as there are now no means of transportation available. Locals said the bridge, which had stood for nearly a decade, was destroyed after incessant rains triggered flash flooding.

“After almost 10 years, this bridge was washed away due to heavy rains. We approached every department — even went to the DC and appealed to the MLA — but no one has listened to us,” said Raja resident of Bant village. “Children and the sick are suffering the most. We have no means of transportation. It takes us four hours on foot from here to Samaroli. I appeal to the government to ensure that the voice of the poor reaches the Centre.”

Another villager expressed frustration over the lack of official assistance.

“Schoolchildren, patients—everyone has to be carried across the river. It’s deep and dangerous, but we have no choice. No department has helped us at all,” he said.

The incident has highlighted the infrastructure challenges in remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir, where many villages remain vulnerable to extreme weather events and lack alternative connectivity routes.

Meanwhile, in the Bhaderwah region, heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, flash floods, and recent terror incidents have dealt a severe blow to the local tourism industryleaving once-bustling destinations deserted.

Locals dependent on tourism said the twin crises of natural calamities and security concerns have crippled livelihoods.

“I’ve been working in tourism for the last eight to ten years, but I’ve never seen such conditions. After the Pahalgam attack, tourists disappeared for months. Then, when summer came, we barely saw 30% of the usual visitors. Cloudbursts and floods in Kishtwar worsened the situation — now no one wants to come,” said Yasira Bhaderwah-based tourism worker.

He urged elected representatives to prioritize tourism revival.

“We don’t want government jobs — we want the revival of tourism. I request our MLA to raise Bhaderwah’s tourism issue in the Assembly and the administration to organize a festival here to attract people again.”

As rain continues to batter parts of the Jammu region, residents across Udhampur and Bhaderwah are appealing for immediate government action to restore connectivity and revive economic activity.