JOIN USOver 13k rescued as rain batters J&K
Over 13,000 people have been rescued from the flood affected areas as rain continued to batter Jammu and Kashmir with the toll reaching 150 on Sunday.
Relief efforts were intensified to rescue those marooned by floods. Flood waters from major rivers and streams damaged many buildings, including hospitals, and disrupted road and communication links, cutting off many areas. The Army cantonment, Civil Secretariat and the High Court in Srinagar were also inundated.
Electricity and water supply has remained disrupted in affected areas for the past six days now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made an aerial survey of the areas, announced a Rs 1,000 crore aid for the state and termed the flood situation a “national level disaster”.
“An additional special project assistance of Rs 1,000 crore will be made available by the Centre to the state for relief and rehabilitation. More assistance will be provided, if required, after a proper survey of the situation,” he added.
Modi said the Centre stands shoulder to shoulder with the state government and the people of the state in this hour of crisis. Earlier, he was briefed on the damage by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior officials in Jammu and in Srinagar.
He had announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the seriously injured in the state.
Omar assured people in distress that help will reach soon. “Please do not panic, we will reach you, I promise,” he said. He added that the situation was slowly going back to normalcy in Jammu.
In Kashmir, large areas were inundated following incessant rain since Wednesday. The state government has ordered closure of all schools till September 12.
The Army has deployed 184 columns (each comprising 75-100 personnel). The IAF has pressed into service 29 planes and helicopters into service, set up a disaster monitoring cell and kept on ready all its bases.
More than 13,000 people have been rescued but many are still trapped in upper storeys of buildings in low-lying areas. Around 150 boats, rescue teams, divers, flood lights and search lights are being sent to the state, officials said, adding there was a need for more tents. As the number of shelterless people rose, the Army provided tented accommodation to hundreds of people.
In Srinagar, vital roads, were submerged under water and access to main hospitals like SMHS and Lalla Ded has been cut off. Communication system has been disrupted with all almost all private cellular networks out of order. The landline telephone network has also been badly affected.
The weather department has forecast “no major rainfall” in the Valley as well as in Jammu in the next four days