Army evacuates 20,000 in Jammu and Kashmir

The army has evacuated nearly 20,000 people marooned by floods in Jammu and Kashmir with the navy and air force also engaged in relief and rescue operation, the military said Monday.

 

A defence ministry statement said the 20,000 were rescued in different regions of the state.

 

The army has deployed 205 columns for rescue and relief work and given away 4,000 blankets and 90 tents to victims of the worst floods to hit the state in half a century. 

 

“The army also distributed 23,000 litres of water and 600 kg biscuits in the flood-affected areas,” the statement said. 

 

It said 60 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services had swung into action. 

 

Naval marine commandos rescued around 200 people at Haigaon on the Srinagar-Sopore highway. 

 

Naval diving teams are on standby in New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam to proceed to Jammu and Kashmir. 

 

A total of 45 aircraft and helicopters have been pressed into service. 

 

The ministry said 85 tonnes of medicines have been airlifted for the flood victims and 16 relief camps had been set up in the state. 

 

The Indian Air Force has rescued 1,245 people using helicopters and transport aircraft. “So far 140 sorties were undertaken by the helicopters and aircraft and 155 tonnes of relief materials have been dropped.” 

 

Navy joins flood rescue mission in J-K

Jammu: Navy commandos today joined the massive rescue operations being carried out by the Army, Air Force and NDRF in flooded parts of Kashmir Valley, rescuing around 200 stranded people on the Srinagar-Sopore Highway.

Deployed for the first time to carry out rescue efforts in the flood-hit state, Naval marine commandos have rescued people caught in flood waters at Haigaon on the Srinagar–Sopore Highway, an Army official said.

"Rescue efforts are now continuing near Pantha Chowk, Srinagar," he said.

Naval diving teams are also on standby at New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam for the rescue efforts. A medical team is standby at Delhi for immediate deployment.

The Army and IAF have, meanwhile, extended rescue and relief operation to South Kashmir

Helicopters have airlifted four boats and a medical team to Anantnag district in South Kashmir, a Defence Spokesman said.

The weather being clear, a number of helicopters have been pressed into action to transport rescue and relief material to isolated areas of South Kashmir, he said.

Relief camps have also been set up at Avantipur and Anantnag to help the flood-hit people, the spokesman said.

Heavy floods have wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving nearly 150 people dead.

Floods take toll on telecom network in Kashmir

Jammu: Heavy floods have snapped Kashmir Valley's telecommunication links with the rest of the country and state-run BSNl along with Army and IAF has launched an operation on a war footing to restore mobile services.

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam ltd (BSNl) is rushing experts on satellite-based services from Hyderabad and Bangalore to immediately restore mobile services.

"Kashmir Valley is cut off from the rest of the country. Mobile link and other services have been affected due to floods which have badly hit BSNl and others telecom infrastructure", Chief General Manager Telecom (CGMT), J&K Circle, R N Sudhakar told PTI.

Sudhakhar, who is leading the operation to restore the service as soon as possible, said Poonch district of Jammu region is also cut off.

"With the help of satellites, we are trying to restore the service. We are trying to do whatever we can", he said.

Mobile, landline and Internet services in Kashmir Valley were snapped last night due to huge damage caused to telecommunication infrastructure of BSNl and private operators.

"We are trying to restore Digital Satellite Phone Terminal Services to activate mobile services on the pattern of the one we used during Amarnath yatra", the CGMT said.

"We had deployed satellites to give mobile services and connectivity (to pilgrims). We are now working towards that only," he said.

"We are flying experts working on satellite-based service from Hyderabad and Bangalore to immediately restore the service as soon as possible," he said, adding, "We are trying to restore service as soon as possible. But it take some time".

"Our entire team is in engaged in restoring services in entire J&K circle, particularly Kashmir. With the help of Army, IAF and private operators we are trying to finish the task", he said.

"Our battery plant has also been flooded, resulting in grounding of the set-up," he said, adding that, "we are trying to revive that".

Floods in Kashmir have left 150 dead and caused huge damage to infrastructure.