Death toll climbs to 160; 2 Army jawans still trapped Fourth Tawi Bridge damaged; 25,000 villages affected

Rajnath visits Srinagar, Jammu

JAMMU: The toll in the Jammu and Kashmir floods has risen to 160 as the floods, the worst the State has seen in 60 years, affected a staggering 2,500 villages, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said as he assured help to deal with the grim situation.
Rajnath Singh told the media at the Jammu Airport that “160 people have lost their lives in these floods”.
“Floods of this magnitude have hit Jammu and Kashmir after 60 years.”
The Union Home Minister arrived in Srinagar and held a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take stock of the flood situation. He, however, could not undertake an aerial survey due to inclement weather.
Omar himself drove Rajnath Singh, who was accompanied by Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, through the Srinagar city which was experiencing heavy rainfall.
“The floods have caused a lot of damage. If this is the condition of city, what will be the situation in rural areas. I was told that this has happened after 50-60 years,” said Rajnath Singh, who assured the Chief Minister that the Centre stands firmly behind the State Government at this crucial hour.
He said that an inter-ministerial team will be sent to assess the damage in the State and that J and K can use Rs 1,100 crore of State Disaster Relief Fund to deal with the calamity.
“The helicopter could not take off because of bad weather. So I went with the Chief Minister around the city,” Singh, who arrived this morning, said before heading for Jammu.
“No politics should be played at this hour. After the water recedes, an inter-ministerial team will be sent to assess the damage. The PM has given Rs 2 lakh to the kin of every person killed in the floods. I have told the State Government to utilise Rs 1,100 crore of State Disaster Relief Fund which has 90 per cent of grant from the Centre,” Singh told reporters here.
Singh also asked the State Government to send a memorandum on the damage incurred during the floods, once the situation eases.
As soon as Singh arrived in Srinagar, he went straight into a meeting with the Chief Minister in the technical area of the airport where both discussed steps to meet the situation arising out of the worst floods in the State in six decade that have claimed 100 lives so far.
“Wherever you need central assistance, we will be providing you. Funds will not be constraint in the relief and rehabilitation of the affected people,” Rajnath Singh said at a review meeting to assess the flood situation in the State.
The meeting was also attended by several J and K ministers and senior officials from the State Government.
The Home Minister asked Omar to take steps on war-footing for providing relief to the people.
Omar told the Home Ministry that the top most concern of the State Government is to ensure safety of human lives and evacuate the population trapped in submerged areas.
He said that as soon as the water recedes, State Government will carry out the assessment of losses.
Omar added that huge losses have been caused to paddy and fruit crops.
The Chief Minister also said that there is heavy damage to public infrastructure and private property besides residential houses.
The Chief Minister briefed Singh on rescue efforts saying army, NDRF, State Police and civil administration are working in tandem to help the marooned population.
Commissioner Secretary Revenue and Relief Vinod Koul said there was an urgent need for 25,000 tents and 40,000 blankets.
He said 390 villages have been submerged in the Valley while 1,225 are partially affected adding in Jammu Division 1,000 villages have been affected by the flood waters. The commissioner said 50 bridges and hundreds of kilometers of roads besides power installations and PHE schemes have been damaged due to flood and rains.
Jitendra Singh asked the State Government officials to coordinate with Resident Commissioner of the State Government in Delhi for relief material like tents, blankets and medicine.
“The relief material will be airlifted from Delhi as soon as the State Government submits its requirements,” he said.
At Jammu also, Home Minister Rajnath Singh could not undertake aerial survey in the flood affected areas beyond Akhnoor because of bad weather.
Later, speaking to media persons Singh said ,” Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of this country with which we have an emotional cord.”
“We will ask other states to help Jammu and Kashmir in this hour of grief,” he said.
On the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, Singh said the Divisional Commissioner has informed him that the pilgrimage will resume as soon as weather improves.
“Nearly 2,500 villages are affected and 450 sub-merged in the flood waters. The State Government has to ensure that no epidemic breaks out after the water starts receding,” he said.
The Home Minister said medical assistance has to be provided to affected population.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Jammu and Kashmir floods a “national calamity”.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone and demanded immediate steps so that the stranded people are shifted to safer places more efficiently and effectively.
He demanded that the floods be declared a national calamity.
Prime Minister assured all possible help to the state in this hour of crisis after Azad, a former J and K Chief Minister, spoke to him from Srinagar and sought his personal attention in view of the “very grave and grim situation” prevailing in the entire State.
Azad requested the Prime Minister to immediately place funds at the disposal of the State Government so that the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations are carried out in an effective and co-ordinated manner.
In the winter capital, 4th Tawi bridge in Jammu city damaged in flash flood In Jammu, authorities closed four bridges connecting two parts of city after one of the bridge damaged due to River Tawi flowing above the danger mark.
In Jammu region, 11 more deaths were reported on Saturday, including seven in two house collapse incidents in Udhampur. Four more bodies were recovered from Thursday’s bus mishap in which 63 members of marriage party were washed away in Rajouri District, SSP Rajouri Mubasir Latiffe said, adding a total of 29 bodies have been recovered so far.
At least nine army personnel including an officer were on trapped in strong water current as their boat capsized during a rescue operation in Pulwama District, where River Jhelum has breached embankment prompting authorities to issue a red alert for people living in low lying areas of south Srinagar. Seven army personnel were later rescued from flood waters but two soldiers are still trapped.
With Saturday’s deaths, a total of 100 people have died in the State hit by floods and landslides due to incessant rains since Wednesday. While 89 people have been killed in Jammu, 11 have died in the Kashmir Valley so far.
In Jammu, authorities have closed four bridges connecting two parts of city after they suffered damage due to River Tawi flowing above the danger mark.
“The situation is very bad. It is becoming more critical as rains have not stopped making the rescue and relief operation difficult,” officials said.
As many as 7,000 people were rescued in various areas in Jammu by teams of Army and IAF till now with 85 columns (75-100 personnel each) of troops and Air Force helicopters taking part in the operations in the State.
Several rivers have been flowing above the danger mark and most parts of south Kashmir, including Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam Districts have been submerged.
“Operation Megh Rahat in Jammu and Operation Sahayata launched by army in Jammu and Kashmir regions has moved on to next phase where army plans extensive deployment in support of flood relief,” Defence Spokesman Col S.D Goswami said.
The deployment of helicopters, special divers, heavy engineering machinery and more personnel on ground will be the focus of army to assist locals in critical situations, that may arise due to heavy rains that are lashing the region, the spokesman said.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal told a news agency that Jhelum had breached the embankment at Kandizal in Kakapora area of Pulwama District.
“We have issued an alert for low lying areas of Srinagar city which are likely to get affected,” he said.
Kansal said the areas likely to be affected by the breach include Lasjan, Mehjoor Nagar, Bud Shah Nagar and the strip along the vital Airport Road.
“One unit of NDRF has been moved into these areas for carrying out evacuation and rescue operations wherever needed,” he added.
Kansal appealed to people living in these areas to move out to safer places immediately.
Heavy and incessant rains since Wednesday have disrupted normal life as large areas remain inundated.
The River Jhelum is flowing several feet above the danger mark at Sangam in Anantnag District of south Kashmir, which has been inundated.
The threat of flood in other areas of the Valley including central Kashmir’s Ganderbal District and three north Kashmir districts has also increased as all rivers and rivulets are flowing above the danger mark.
Authorities on Saturday sounded a red alert asking people living close to River Sindh to move to safer places following cloudbursts and flash floods in the higher reaches triggered by the continuous rains for the past five days.
River Sindh flows through most part of Ganderbal District and people in many areas live near the banks of the river.
“We have sounded a red alert in the district and asked people living near River Sindh to move to safer places as the water level in the river is increasing fast,” Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, Sarmad Hafeez told a news agency.
He said cloudbursts in some areas in the upper reaches of the District during the night have resulted in flash floods and increase in the water levels of the river.
Rajouri District in Jammu region is the worst hit in terms of casualties.
Thousands of people have been rescued and evacuated to safety.
“We have set up temporary camps at several places for the displaced persons,” the army officer added.