Jammu and Kashmir flood toll crosses 175 even as Army evacuates 23,500 people
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Aided by a dry spell, the Army scaled up its air-lift operations on Monday, rescuing close to 23,500 flood-stricken people, including around 2,000 from Srinagar alone, with the Army chief, Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, telling reporters that the military "won't move back to the barracks till the last man is brought to safety".
As security forces and the ill-prepared state administration struggled with Kashmir's worst calamity since independence, fatalities crossed 175 with 27 people killed by landslide in remote Pancheri village in Udhampur district. A higher death toll is feared with scores of people trapped in areas isolated by landslips in Jammu region.
Heavy flooding snapped telecommunication links across Kashmir on Monday as thousands huddled on rooftops following the state’s deadliest floods in about 60 years that have swamped hundreds of villages and killed about 200 people in the past week.
Naval and marine commandos were deployed for the first time on Monday as water levels remained steadily high hampering distribution of relief supplies. Desperate people were seen huddled on rooftops in Srinagar as the military choppers tried to pluck some of them to safety.
There was complete breakdown of telecommunication network with both mobile phone and landline links paralyzed. Army, sources said, began airlifting communication and BSNL loads to Srinagar to restore connectivity. Power supply remained disrupted across the state with hospitals bearing the brunt of the crisis.
The Border Roads Organization has assessed the damage to the three highways connecting Kashmir with Jammu and said it will take five to seven days to restore the vital road link.
"The Army has deployed around 20,000 soldiers in its Operation Megh Rahat to rescue stranded people, with 215 columns, 65 medical teams and 15 engineer task forces spread out in the Kashmir valley," said additional director general (public information) Major-General Shokin Chauhan on Monday evening.
"They have rescued over 23,500 people till now. Of them, 2,000 were rescued on Monday morning from critically-hit areas in Srinagar like Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Shivpura, Pantha and others. Moreover, we have flown in huge relief material, from over 10,000 blankets and 150 tonnes of rations to one lakh ready-to-eat meals and 4,00,000 litres of milk,'' he added.
The IAF used 45 aircraft and helicopters which flew close to 200 sorties to airlift 1,800 people and 315 tonnes of relief material. "The helicopters, with Garud commandos, too winched up over 320 people. In some cases, the Garuds had to dismantle roofs and evacuate people trapped on the top floors of their houses," said the IAF spokesperson.
"We're facing a big problem of communication as all links are down," said NDRF chief OP Singh. "We're unable to communicate with our teams on the ground. Also, as water level is high in many places, our personnel are unable to reach the stranded," he added.
In Poonch, five people were reported missing, the worst hit district where flash floods paralyzed road link and rendered the district powerless and without potable water. "Close to 1,000 cattle have perished in Jammu," an official said.
Meanwhile, sources said some 40 people are still trapped at Saddal village in Pancheri, about 55 km from Udhampur, after a massive landslide which took place during heavy rain last evening.
With guns falling almost silent along the volatile LoC, and both sides of Kashmir facing flood fury, director-general of military operations Lt-General P R Kumar offered assistance to his Pakistani counterpart over the hotline, with the Pakistani military too reciprocating the gesture.
The naval marine commandos, which are deployed around the Wular Lake for counter-terrorist operations, chipped in by rescuing around 200 people at Haigaon on the Srinagar-Sopore highway. "Additionally, specialised naval diving teams are on stand-by at New Delhi, Mumbai and Vizag if they are required," said an officer.
The Army itself was badly hit due to the disaster, with around 4,200 of its soldiers and 380 families stranded in the virtually submerged Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar. "They also had to be evacuated but we did not allow it to hamper the ongoing rescue work outside," said an officer.
TOI
As security forces and the ill-prepared state administration struggled with Kashmir's worst calamity since independence, fatalities crossed 175 with 27 people killed by landslide in remote Pancheri village in Udhampur district. A higher death toll is feared with scores of people trapped in areas isolated by landslips in Jammu region.
Heavy flooding snapped telecommunication links across Kashmir on Monday as thousands huddled on rooftops following the state’s deadliest floods in about 60 years that have swamped hundreds of villages and killed about 200 people in the past week.
Naval and marine commandos were deployed for the first time on Monday as water levels remained steadily high hampering distribution of relief supplies. Desperate people were seen huddled on rooftops in Srinagar as the military choppers tried to pluck some of them to safety.
There was complete breakdown of telecommunication network with both mobile phone and landline links paralyzed. Army, sources said, began airlifting communication and BSNL loads to Srinagar to restore connectivity. Power supply remained disrupted across the state with hospitals bearing the brunt of the crisis.
The Border Roads Organization has assessed the damage to the three highways connecting Kashmir with Jammu and said it will take five to seven days to restore the vital road link.
"The Army has deployed around 20,000 soldiers in its Operation Megh Rahat to rescue stranded people, with 215 columns, 65 medical teams and 15 engineer task forces spread out in the Kashmir valley," said additional director general (public information) Major-General Shokin Chauhan on Monday evening.
"They have rescued over 23,500 people till now. Of them, 2,000 were rescued on Monday morning from critically-hit areas in Srinagar like Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Shivpura, Pantha and others. Moreover, we have flown in huge relief material, from over 10,000 blankets and 150 tonnes of rations to one lakh ready-to-eat meals and 4,00,000 litres of milk,'' he added.
The IAF used 45 aircraft and helicopters which flew close to 200 sorties to airlift 1,800 people and 315 tonnes of relief material. "The helicopters, with Garud commandos, too winched up over 320 people. In some cases, the Garuds had to dismantle roofs and evacuate people trapped on the top floors of their houses," said the IAF spokesperson.
"We're facing a big problem of communication as all links are down," said NDRF chief OP Singh. "We're unable to communicate with our teams on the ground. Also, as water level is high in many places, our personnel are unable to reach the stranded," he added.
In Poonch, five people were reported missing, the worst hit district where flash floods paralyzed road link and rendered the district powerless and without potable water. "Close to 1,000 cattle have perished in Jammu," an official said.
Meanwhile, sources said some 40 people are still trapped at Saddal village in Pancheri, about 55 km from Udhampur, after a massive landslide which took place during heavy rain last evening.
With guns falling almost silent along the volatile LoC, and both sides of Kashmir facing flood fury, director-general of military operations Lt-General P R Kumar offered assistance to his Pakistani counterpart over the hotline, with the Pakistani military too reciprocating the gesture.
The naval marine commandos, which are deployed around the Wular Lake for counter-terrorist operations, chipped in by rescuing around 200 people at Haigaon on the Srinagar-Sopore highway. "Additionally, specialised naval diving teams are on stand-by at New Delhi, Mumbai and Vizag if they are required," said an officer.
The Army itself was badly hit due to the disaster, with around 4,200 of its soldiers and 380 families stranded in the virtually submerged Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar. "They also had to be evacuated but we did not allow it to hamper the ongoing rescue work outside," said an officer.
TOI
