Omar meets flood, landslide-hit victims in J&K’s Ramban

Ramban (J&K):Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday assessed the ground situation in the aftermath of the destruction caused by heavy rains coupled with cloudbursts and landslides here, and met with the affected families.

This was his second visit to the affected areas in as many days. On Monday, the chief minister drove from Srinagar to the worst-hit Maroog-Kela Morh stretch along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway which remained closed for the third day on Tuesday.

Abdullah, accompanied by his political advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, flew in a helicopter to Chanderkote area of Ramban this morning and immediately left for landslide-hit Seri to assess the situation.

Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary was seen briefing the chief minister as he moved on foot and met the affected families.

District Development Council chairperson Shamshad Shan and MLA Banihal Sajad Shaheen were also present and interacted with the chief minister, who later left for the Ramban market to take stock of the damage.

Abdullah is also scheduled to visit other worst-hit areas before chairing an officers meeting at the district headquarters, officials said. The chief minister patiently heard a group of people, who stopped his vehicle en route Ramban market and assured them all possible assistance to rebuild their lives.

Abdullah trekked several kilometres on foot through rugged terrain on Monday to reach Kela Morh, where the cloudburst had triggered flash floods, leaving a trail of destruction.

The natural calamity has claimed the lives of three persons, while causing extensive damage to residential structures, vehicles, and critical road infrastructure.

Ramban district, often referred to as the lifeline between the Kashmir Valley and Jammu, remained cut off for the third consecutive day due to debris and damage along the national highway, J-K’s primary transport artery.

Interacting with local residents and officials from the district administration, the chief minister was briefed on the scale of the damage and the progress of ongoing rescue and relief operations.

He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and assured that the government stands shoulder to shoulder with the victims of this tragedy.

“The scale of destruction is deeply distressing. Our administration is on the ground, working tirelessly to ensure the safety, relief, and rehabilitation of every affected family,” Abdullah said, adding “we will leave no stone unturned in standing by our people during this difficult time.” A massive clearance operation is in full swing, with teams from the Public Works Department (PWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), disaster response units, police, volunteers, and the local population working round-the-clock to remove mudslides and boulders and restore normalcy in the affected area. PTI TAS TAS DV DV