Over 1 lakh troops pressed into service, about 50,000 rescued

*Army restores Leh-Srinagar NH after 7 days

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Sept 9: In one of the biggest ever rescue and relief operation launched by Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and several other agencies, over 50,000 persons have so far been rescued from flood ravaged areas of Jammu and Kashmir and shifted to safer locations while 1068 persons of Jammu and some tourists of other States were airlifted here from Srinagar during past two days by the Air Force while many others including Civil Secretariat employees of Jammu and tourists from different parts of the country still remained stranded in the Valley.
More than one lakh troops of Army, IAF and other forces have been pressed into service to carry out rescue and relief missions in entire State including entire Kashmir Valley and parts of Jammu region like Poonch, Rajouri, Akhnoor sector and Banihal, where several people have taken shelter in relief camps set up by the Army.
The Army engineers with the help of Border Roads Organization (BRO) today cleared landslides from Zojila axis and threw open Leh-Srinagar National Highway, the only road link, which has linked Kashmir with rest of the country via Rohtang Pass-Manali to Chandigarh. Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and Rajouri-Poonch-Shopian Mughal road were still closed. Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda had yesterday stated that it could still take 4-5 days to open Jammu-Srinagar Highway, the main supply line to Kashmir as road has badly been damaged at 172 kilometers point.
Official sources told the Excelsior that for the first time in history of Jammu and Kashmir, more than one lakh troops, IAF and NDMA personnel apart from some other forces remained engaged in gigantic task of rescuing the people from several parts of Jammu and Kashmir including Srinagar, where several areas remained submerged under deep waters.
“We have succeeded in rescuing over 50,000 people till late tonight so far when the reports last came in and there was no let up in the operations, which continued till midnight tonight,” Defence spokesman (MoD) Col SD Goswami said, adding that tons and tons of relief material including food packets, water bottles, biscuits, milk etc have either been air dropped or provided in relief camps, set up by the Army at various places across the State.
He said the relief and rescue mission will continue till all trapped people are rescued. He added that water level in Srinagar areas today receded by about one meter. A Brigadier level officer was monitoring entire rescue and relief operation from Awantipora.
Sources said AN-32 and other helicopter while returning from Srinagar to Jammu air base after air dropping relief material have brought back 1068 stranded persons including Government officials from Jammu and tourists to Jammu. While 485 persons were evacuated here tomorrow, 583 were brought back today.
“The mission to rescue the people of Jammu including Civil Secretariat employees and other Government officials trapped in hotels and other places and tourists of different States will continue even during the night,” sources said but admitted that the problem the Army and IAF were facing was to bring the trapped persons including tourists to Awantipora base camp as water level was still high and the people were unable to reach the Air Force base camp.
Sources said only today Army and IAF teams rescued 4923 persons from Srinagar taking total number of persons rescued from there to 23874.
Army spokesman Col Manish Mehta said evacuation efforts by Army in the State have picked up with induction of more number of boats and increased operations by helicopters.
“On an average, every boat that is being operated by Army is manned by an officer and given a dedicated responsibility of a specific area from which he is to ensure that no one is left out. Officer responsible for a portion of Rajbagh has evacuated over 200 persons since morning and from the same area Air Force helicopter has evacuated over 100 persons. Similarly, 36 boats operating from the Airport axis have taken out 2923 persons today itself. The water today receded by a meter. A Brigadier level officer is coordinating the efforts,” Col Mehta said.
Sources said evacuation being undertaken from Badami Bagh Cantonment side has also been expedited. While most of the patients from GB Pant Hospital have been moved out, there are over 100 staff and attendants of patients who are yet to be taken out. Areas adjoining Batwara and GB Pant Hospital have been cleared of people, However, efforts to rescue the people are still on in Shivpora area.
Distribution of food water and medicine formed another area of Army’s efforts. Boats going into the affected area for rescue, are carrying food and water for those who are not on the priority list for evacuation. Food packets are also being air dropped by helicopters, sources said.
They added that Army has established staying Camps at Srinagar, Old Airfield and Awantipura to help the rescued persons stabilized before they can be moved to the relief Camps that are being established by the civil administration.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Leh National Highway connecting Ladakh with Kashmir Valley was reopened for traffic today after remaining closed for seven days due to heavy rains, boosting connectivity to the flood-hit region awaiting crucial supplies.
“Road connectivity of the flood affected Kashmir Valley has been restored from Leh region due to concerted efforts of Indian Army engineers and the Border Roads Organisation”, Army officials said.
The 434-km-long Highway was closed following heavy rains and landslides on September 3.
The connectivity will give a major boost to ongoing relief operations being undertaken by the Army in the Kashmir Valley, they said.
“The Army is now mobilizing the existing stocks in Leh to provide essential supplies to Kashmir Valley”, they said.
The urgent requirement of food, water and medicines will be moved from the Army holdings in Ladakh while additional stocks are being inducted via Manali to provide relief to the people in the Kashmir Valley, they said.
The BRO has, meanwhile, intensified efforts to clear the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which has remained close due to landslides and sinking of road at various places.
Traffic was suspended on the highway due to landslides, washing of road patches, and flooding at various places on September 4.
Hundreds of passenger and commercial vehicles were stranded on the highway at various places in Banihal, Ramban, Batote, Kud, Patnitop, Chenani, Udhampur and Jammu due to closure of the road.
The BRO pressed in service its men and machines as the weather started to become clear and launched a massive clearance and repair operation to reopen the highway for traffic, police said.
Authorities were focusing on reopening of the highway so that more rescue material could reach Kashmir by road.
Sources said Army has so far distributed 7200 blankets, 210 tents, 42,000 liters of water, 600 kilogram biscuits, 7 tons baby food and 1000 food packets in flood affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir. They added that Army was airlifting additional water bottles from Chandigarh and New Delhi to meet the shortage. Cooked food and biscuits have been airlifted from New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad on a large scale for distribution among flood victims. Over 80 medical teams of Armed Forces Medical Services have swung into action.
“So far 451 sorties have been undertaken by the helicopters and aircrafts of IAF and 563 tone of relief material airdropped by the IAF. Altogether 61 aircrafts and helicopters have been pressed into action to save the flood victims and provide succor to them. Apart from this, 135 Army boats and 148 NDRF’s inflatable boats were involved in the rescue operations,” sources said.
Fifteen Engineering Task Force teams along with boats and other life saving equipments have also been working in flood affected areas.
An Army spokesman said the relief camps have been established in school buildings and Panchayat Ghars at Pargwal and Garkhal by the Tiger Division. More than 2500 civilians were provided food, shelter by the Army. In addition, relief camps were also established at Nai Basti and Mandal to provide food and shelter for more than 1000 civilians.
The medical teams with medicines were inducted immediately to ensure all types of medical help was provided in the affected areas. Two medical camps each at Pargwal and Mandal areas have been established which have lady doctors in addition to male doctors are operating round the clock.
Army engineers and experts under the dedicated team of Chenab Brigade have also started restoring minor roads, culverts and communication lines.

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