Rajnath visits State to take stock, assures all help; PM to go today
The toll in the Jammu & Kashmir floods has risen to 160 as the floods, the worst the State has seen in 60 years, affected more than 2,500 villages, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said as he assured help to deal with the grim situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed on Saturday evening by the Home Minister after his return from Jammu & Kashmir to survey the flood-affected areas. In view of the seriousness of the situation, the Prime Minister immediately called for a review meeting to assess the situation. The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister and the Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister.
Rajnath Singh said that “160 people have lost their lives in these floods”. Floods of this magnitude have hit Jammu & Kashmir after 60 years.”
He said more than 2,500 villages were affected, out of which 450 were completely submerged. The Union Minister arrived in the State earlier in the day on a day’s visit to take stock of the flood situation.
The devastating floods continued to wreak havoc in Kashmir Valley for the fifth straight day on Saturday as intermittent rainfall continued amid free-flow of ferocious streams and the swelling Jhelum River.
The Jhelum, flowing many feet above the danger mark breached the banks at several places inundating more populated areas in the Capital Srinagar. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah drove visiting Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS Jatinder Singh to several submerged localities to assess the flood situation.
The Army, State administration, civilian volunteers and police continued the massive rescue operation in the worst-affected areas, especially in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam districts. “The degree of devastation is colossal. We are focusing on rescue and relief operations only.”
“More than a 2,500 villages are submerged in the Valley and thousands of families have left their submerged homes and moved to safer zones,” an official in the divisional administration told The Pioneer.
An Army rescue team was washed away in Kakapora area near Pampore when the Jhelum embankment was breached causing a massive spill.
A column of 11 soldiers rowing a rescue boat was washed away by the strong currents. A helicopter was pressed into service to rescue the stranded soldiers to safety, but due to the bad weather boats were more effective in retrieving the soldiers, nine of whom were rescued. Two soldiers, however, were still stranded in the area till reports last came in.
Revenue Commissioner Vinod Koul said that 50 bridges and hundreds of kilometers of roads besides power installations and PHE schemes have been damaged due to floods and rains.
The 300-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the third consecutive day due to landslides at various places. More than a thousand vehicles were stranded on the highway. Vehicular traffic was suspended on major submerged roads connecting district headquarters with the Capital.
Schools and colleges have been closed till Monday and all examinations have been postponed. The authorities postponed all Haj flights and said they would issue separate schedule for the pilgrims after the flood fury ends. Most of the newspapers have stopped publication for the last three days. Those publishing have lessened their pages and print order.
The authorities issued a fresh warning to the people living in the vicinity of rivers and nullahs to immediately shift to safer areas. “This is necessary for the safety of lives in view of the prevailing flood situation”, an official spokesman said.
People complained that the response of the administration was sluggish or there was no response at all. Most marooned villagers were helped by the local volunteers who risked their lives to bring old people, women and children to safety.
Rajnath and Omar reviewed the prevailing flood situation in the State at a high-level meeting here. The Chief Minister told Singh, that the topmost concern of the State Government was to ensure safety of human lives and evacuation of the population trapped in submerged areas. Mentioning huge losses to paddy and fruit crops, Omar said that the real assessment of the losses would be made after the water level recedes.
The Chief Minister later drove the Home Minister to the inundated areas in upper Srinagar to get visual appraisal of the devastation of flood and the difficulties people were facing. The two leaders visited Baghat, Barzulla, Rambagh, River Jhelum Bund, Zero Bridge, Budshah Bridge, Exhibition Chowk, Saria Bhalla and other areas of the summer capital.
Sources said that dozens of houses have collapsed in Gooripora, Awantipora, Sail, Chersoo, Donigund, Beigund, Padgampora, Batagund,Bargam, Nawdal, Chandrigam, Aaligund and Aripal villages in Pulwama district.
At least 22 houses collapsed in Sambora, Patalbagh, Haqiwara and Galandar areas of Pampore town when there was sudden breach in the Jehlum embankment. Scores of villages in Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian districts are still submerged as people took shelter in safer buildings, schools and colleges. Wuranhal and Gur villages in Khanabal were submerged on Saturday after the floods swept the area. The State has demanded 25,000 tents and 40,000 blankets on war-footing basis from the Center.
The power supply has snapped in most flood-hit areas leading to communication breakdown. “The mobile towers have gone dysfunctional due to lack of power supply. Mobile phone batteries have exhausted and people are unable to communicate”, said Pulwama-based journalist Mir Nazir.
Director Meteorological Department Sonam lotus predicted improvement in weather from Sunday morning. Before the sunset, clouds dissipated for a while much to the relief of beleaguered people. “Jammu and Kashmir will have clear weather for the next one week,” lotus said. The State has demanded 25,000 tents and 40,000 blankets on war-footing basis from the Center.
A Defence spokesman said that in the past 48 hours, Indian Air Force mounted Il-76 sorties and pressed into action two AN-32 aircraft to airlift NDRF teams and equipment from Bhatinda to Srinagar and Jammu Air Force Bases.
“The HQ Western Air Command has opened a disaster monitoring cell that is coordinating the efforts between all its bases including Srinagar, Udhampur, Jammu & Sarsawa apart from fixed wing effort from other bases. The IAF Command has alerted all its bases to a high state of readiness to respond to the emerging situation”, the spokesman said.
The Army said that it has launched Sahitya operation in which a total of 11,000 civilians have been rescued. “Around 2,000 civilians have been provided food and temporary shelters”, an Army handout said.