relief map of india
kashmir floods
Srinagar/Jammu:
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to explain by Monday what relief
and rescue measures it has taken to rehabilitate those affected by the worst
floods in Jammu and Kashmir.
The apex court
also directed the Centre to consider suggestion of forming unified
agency for coordinating rescue operations there.
agency for coordinating rescue operations there.
Attorney
General, appearing for the Cente, told the highest court that a committee
headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is overseeing and coordinating rescue
efforts, adding that armed forces' operations is in full swing in J&K.
The apex court
also asked the Centre and the state government to put in urgent efforts for
making functional constitutional offices like the J&K High Court.
making functional constitutional offices like the J&K High Court.
SC gave Centre
time till Monday to file its reply.
The development
came shortly after Union Home Minister Rajnath Sngh reiterated that the Centre
is committed to provide all that is required to bring the flood-hit Jammu and
Kashmir back on track, while admitting that the state is facing a national calamity.
Addressing a
press conference in the national capital, the Home Minister said, “Floods in
J&K are a kind of national calamity. We have said time and again that the
central government will do everything possible to help those affected in the
state.”
Praising the Army, para-military forces and several
government agencies for their commendable job, Singh said, “So far forces have
rescued 1.30 lakh people in Kashmir. Rscue operations have been scaled up.”
“Around 400 villages have been submerged very heavily in
floods in J&K,” he added.
On the isue of rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants, he
said, “Rs 500 crore have been earmarked for rehabilitation of Kashmiri
Migrants. Centre is also considering to enhance cash relief to Kashmiri
migrants to Rs 10000 per month per family. We have also asked the state
government to provide us land for their rehabilitation.”
Home Minister also spoke on a wide range of issues from
J&K floods to police modernisation to threats from al Qaeda etc.
The Army, IAF, NDRF and other government agencies have
scaled up relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir amid
growing fear of water-borne disease outbreak as water is said to be receding in
most affected areas.
Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah has admitted that the likely spread of diseases is the main
source of worry for him after the water recedes.
Stagnant water,
the paucity of clean drinking water and people living in close quarters in
ill-equipped relief camps is a recipe for a disease disaster. “We are preparing
ourselves for diarrhoea and measles which is common when people live in
clusters,” Dr Salim Rehman, Director, Health Services of the State’s Health
Department was quoted as saying.
Rehman added
that he and his colleagues were not apprehensive of the possible outbreak of
dengue and malaria as mosquitoes do not survive in the weather conditions of
the Kashmir Valley.
Since the
provision of clean drinking water is essential to prevent the spread of
water-borne diseases, the health department has been asked to supply
chlorinated water in tankers at all relief camps. The Central government on
Wednesday also flew in supplies of chlorine tablets to make drinking water
potable at relief camps as the supply of packaged water is unlikely to suffice.
The health department
has set up medical centres at relief camps to treat patients symptomatically.
Meanwhile, the
rescuers have scaled up relief efforts in flood-hit areas, especially summer
capital Srinagar with the Centre rushing additional personnel, boats, drinking
water, blankets and food rushed to the state.
Over 110,000 people have been rescued so far, the
authorities said. The death toll in the floods stands at over 215 so far.
Authorities in Jammu said the toll in the region is 153 but was likely to go up
as many people were still missing.
A fresh batch
of marine commandos, equipped with rubberised inflatable boats, diving sets and
satellite phones, arrived in Srinagar yesterday where the waters of the Dal
Lake and Jhelum river have swamped most of the tourist hub.
An official statement said that over 110,000 people have
been rescued so far by the armed forces and National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) from different parts of the state. The Army has deployed around 30,000
troops for rescue and relief operations - 21,000 in Srinagar region and 9,000
in Jammu region.
The armed forces personnel are distributing water bottles
and food packets on a large scale. So far 2,24,000 litres of water, 31,500 food
packets and over 375 tonnes cooked food have already been airdropped and
distributed in the flood-affected areas, an official statement said.
Telecommunications
companies worked to restore connectivity in the state where the unprecedented
rain, floods and landslides led to massive damage to the telecom infrastructure,
crippling communications.
Airtel,
Reliance Communications, Aircel and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, worked to restore
networks across the state including Jammu, Kargil, Ladakh and Leh.
Home Secretary
Anil Goswami, accompanied by a team of officers, reached Srinagar to coordinate
relief and rescue operations, following directions by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to immediately depute senior officers from Delhi and other states to
coordinate the relief operations with the local administration in Srinagar.
Modi, who Wednesday chaired a high-level emergency
meeting on relief operations, emphasised immediate attention be given to
providing basic necessities like food and water to people severely affected by
the calamity. He also stressed the need for a massive effort to ensure basic
hygiene and sanitation in the water-logged areas of Srinagar where over four
lakh people are still estimated to be marooned.
Domestic airline companies like Jet Airways, GoAir,
IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India Thursday also added their bit to the rescue
efforts by running special charter flights.
Budget carrier GoAir operated a special flight Thursday
morning from Leh to Delhi to evacuate 151 students stranded in the state while
Jet has been flying in relief material like tents, blankets, food grains and
medical supplies into Srinagar on its daily Delhi-Srinagar service without any
charge.
It Thursday operated an additional Boeing 737
non-scheduled flight from Leh to New Delhi to evacuate 133 stranded passengers
- in addition to the existing daily Leh-New Delhi service.
National
carrier Air India too operated special flights for the second consecutive day
to evacuate stranded people.
According to an official statement, 8,200 blankets and
650 tents have been provided to flood victims while 80 teams of the Armed
Forces Medical Services are in action. Four field hospitals have been
established in Avantipur, Pattan, Anantnag and Old Airfield where medical aid
is being provided. Till now, more than 21,500 patients have been treated.
More relief
materials including blankets and tents, water bottles and food packets are
being airlifted from Hyderabad, Baroda and Delhi. Until now, 1,081 sorties were
undertaken by the armed forces helicopters and aircraft and 1,411 tonnes of
relief materials dropped.
Keeping in view
the urgent requirement of more boats, the army has deployed 90 more craft in
Srinagar and adjoining areas. A total of 224 boats of Army and 148 of the NDRF
are now involved in the rescue operation.
Armed forces
have also established 19 relief camps in Srinagar and Jammu region, where
thousands of rescued people are being sheltered and being provided food and
other basic amenities.
Thirteen tonnes
of water purifying tablets and six water filtration plants with a capacity to
filter 1.2 lakh bottles per day have also been transported to Srinagar, while
engineering stores including suction and submersible pumps from Vishakhapatnam
and Jodhpur are also being sent to flood affected areas.
Equipment of
department of telecommunication, army, BSNL and some of private companies are
also being sent to restore the communication systems.
To restore road
connectivity, five task forces of Border Roads Organisation, which include 5,700
personnel, have been pressed into service. On the Jammu-Srinagar highway, BRO
personnel are trying hard to clear the road blocked by fresh landslide, the
statement said.
Meanwhile, all
staff members at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) have decided to voluntarily
contribute a day's salary for relief operations, a statement said.
With Agency
inputs