As Jammu and Kashmir continues to battle relentless rains, landslides, and widespread disruption, the Central Government has taken a crucial step to keep the region connected. In a directive issued to all telecom service providers—Bharti Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone-Idea—the Centre has asked them to immediately activate intra-circle roaming (ICR) across the Union Territory until September 2.
This decision comes as large swathes of Jammu and Kashmir face partial communication blackouts due to the collapse of telecom services. With the region witnessing non-stop rain for the fourth day and multiple landslides wreaking havoc, residents have found themselves cut off, unable to reach loved ones or access emergency help.
“In view of the prevailing situation due to heavy rainfall and multiple landslides in Jammu and Kashmir… all telecom service providers are hereby instructed to activate the intra-circle roaming facility for the J&K Union Territory with immediate effect,” the Department of Telecommunications’ Disaster Management Unit stated in its official communication.
The measure allows mobile users to seamlessly switch between networks—even if their primary service provider is down—ensuring that critical communication lines stay open. It’s a move that prioritizes human lives and safety over protocol, with ICR now being extended to all in-roamers in the region until further notice or 23:59 hours on September 2, whichever comes earlier.
Due to the heavy downpour, damage to optical fibre cables at multiple locations triggered widespread network outages across all major service providers. The blackout not only triggered panic among the local population but also slowed down emergency response and disaster relief efforts.
Telecom providers have assured that their technical teams are on the ground, working under difficult conditions to restore normal services as swiftly as possible.
In this moment of crisis, the activation of ICR isn’t just a technical fix—it’s a human lifeline.
