P.V.Anandpadmanabhan

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary, Ajit Seth reviewed the relief work in flood affected State of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Principal Secretary to the Government of J&K, B.R. Sharma, specially deputed for co-ordination of disaster management work at Delhi and the Principal Resident Commissioner of the Government of J&K Lokesh Jha briefed the NCMC about the present situation and the requirements of the State Government.

The Secretaries and representative of the Ministries/ Departments of Telecom, Power, Civil Aviation, Food & Consumer Affairs, Industry, Textiles, Railways, Health, Petroleum, Road Transport & Highways, Home, Defence, Border Roads Organization, Indian Meteorological Department and the Chief Secretary of NCT Delhi briefed the Committee about the relief being extended by their respective Ministries/Departments for helping the people of J&K. The Resident Commissioner of the Government of Jharkhand also briefed about the help being extended by his State Government.

The NCMC noted that the State Government machinery has geared up to take up the challenge of relief work. With an improved situation in the sectors of telecom, power, road transport and civil aviation, the relief and rehabilitation work is expected to further improve.

National Disaster Response Force continues rescue and relief operations in J&K .Rescue and relief operations by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in flood ravaged Jammu & Kashmir State are continuing and as many as 49,115 flood victims have been evacuated by NDRF from flood affected areas of Kashmir valley so far.

Since water in most of the places recedes, threat of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases may arise. Thus NDRF has established five medical camps in various water logged areas of Srinagar viz. Amar Singh College Road, Shergadi, Bakshi Stadium, Badshai Nagar (Naugam) and Kushupor areas to provide health care facilities to marooned people.

So far NDRF has distributed 37 tonnes of relief material to flood victims in Srinagar. Today, relief material and medical officers with medicines are airlifted from Delhi to Srinagar

Eighty four transport aircraft and helicopters of Indian Air Force and Army Aviation Corps are continuing their efforts in rescue and relief operations. Army has deployed around 30,000 troops for rescue and relief operations in the flood affected area. More than 5,08,000 litres of water, 3,10,000 food packets and over 1054 tonnes cooked food have already been airdropped and distributed in the flood-affected areas.

So far 2253 sorties were undertaken by the helicopters and aircraft of Armed Forces and 3017 tonnes of relief materials have been dropped by the Indian Air Force. A total of 224 boats of Army and 148 NDRF’s inflatable boats are actively involved in the rescue operation.

Armed Forces have also established 19 relief camps in Srinagar and Jammu region. In Srinagar region, camps were established at BB Cantt, Avantipur, Old Airfield, Sumbal, Chattargam and Jijamata Mandir, where thousands of rescued people are being sheltered. They are also being provided with food and other basic amenities.

To restore the road connectivity, five task forces of Border Roads Organisation, which include 5700 personnel, have been deployed in Srinagar, Rajouri and Akhnoor. As of now, they have restored the road connectivity from Batote – Anantnag and Srinagar – Sonamarg. Srinagar – Baramulla road is now open for light vehicle. On the Jammu – Srinagar highway, BRO personnel have cleared the road up to KM 172 (Ramsu). Work is in progress to clear fresh landslides in areas that were cleared yesterday on this road.