Restoration of road and communication network and meeting emergency needs like food and water for the flood-affected regions of Jammu & Kashmir are high on the agenda of the Centre.
The Home Ministry held a high-level meeting on flood relief assessment on Monday and evaluated inputs from ‘ground zero’. The feedback from the State indicated a huge loss of lives and massive destruction, and the fact that it would take more than a week’s time to restore basic connectivity to the Valley.
According to senior Home Ministry officials, the situation is grim and actual information on the calamities would be assessed only after communication facilities are restored.
The meeting, attended among others by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, Home Secretary Anil Goswami and heads of various other agencies, entrusted Border Roads Organisation (BRO) with the task of restoring links and repairing road connectivity to the Valley. “If there are no more rains, this task alone would need more than a week. Except for the roads connecting to Manali, most are damaged or washed away by the flash floods in the region,” said senior MHA officials.
They pointed out that the weather prediction from the MET Department was not so positive. “According to the MET Department, in the coming days there would be heavy rains in the affected region and it means that the ongoing relief and restoration works will be hit.”
The worst-affected region is 20 kms towards Shopian. The worst-affected routes are NH 1B from Jammu and the third is the road towards Batote. Out of the total reported 175 deaths in the State, 130 are from Jammu region. The Government feels, the death toll may rise, when the spot assessment takes place after the water recedes.
“The only relief originates from Manali, as it is the lone spot with road connectivity. In the past three days, as many as 25,000 people were rescued and shifted to rehabilitation camps,” an official said.
Wireless connectivity is expected to be restored by Tuesday morning, but the restoration of the public telecommunication system may take some more time. Another problem is the collapse of the water distribution system and lakhs of litres of drinking water has to be airlifted to the affected areas and relief camps.
“Nine fixed-wing planes consisting Il-76, AN-32, C-130 and 29 helicopters have been pressed into service. In addition, 14 fixed-wing aircraft have been kept on a standby for carrying material required for the Jammu & Kashmir relief and recovery process. By Sunday, 15 teams of the NDRF, 200 columns of the Army were deployed in Jammu & Kashmir. The NDRF has got more than 244 boats which have been pressed into service in the Valley. The requisite manpower, life jackets and life guards are available,” said the MHA in a statement.
The Home Ministry said a team consisting representatives from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Communication & IT and Ministry of Home Affairs has reached Srinagar to take stock of the situation to enable emergency support facility to the local administration. Packets of biscuits, ready-to-eat food and drinking water bottles and sachets were rushed in on Sunday night with further supplies carried to the Valley for distribution. Indian Railways is transporting rake load of bottled water and sachet water to Jammu.
“An emergency supply of petroleum products, food and medicines will move from leh to Srinagar. Similar quantities of food, petroleum products and medicines will also be moved from northern India via Manali, Rohtang Pass, leh and Srinagar to replenish the stock,” said the Ministry after a National Crisis Management Committee meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth.