* Mahore, Mandi areas still crying for help
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 9: With the recovery of four dead bodies from Rajouri and Reasi area, the death toll in recent rains and floods has gone up to 215 in Jammu region while the people from many far flung areas of Mahore, Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban and Udhampur are still crying for help whereas, the authorities managed to restore Jammu-Batote-Doda-Kishtwar and Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway with the help of Army.
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained blocked for the sixth consecutive day while over 500 persons who were trapped in various parts of Kashmir, managed to reach Ramban and Batote through tranship at Ramsoo, as the authorities on that side of the Jawahar Tunnel have cleared highway up to Banhihal and even 20 kms ahead. The highway has suffered massive damage at Sangni and Gangroo between Ramsoo and Banihal where large patches of road have totally gone down the nallah. The GREF authorities of the area and an Army unit have jointly launched work at these sites on war footing.
At Saddal village near Pancheri in district Udhampur, rescue operation continued but no fresh success could be made today. Nearly 31 persons are still missing. Only seven bodies of the missing persons could be recovered so far.
From Lam area of Nowshera, only 44 bodies could be recovered so far out of 63 marriage party members who were washed away in a flooded nallah. Bodies of 19 persons are still missing.
Many far flung areas of Mahore and Bhamag in Reasi, Kandi- Budhal in Rajouri, Loran- Saujian and parts of Mendhar in Poonch, Sangaldan, Gool, Mohu Mangat in Ramban and parts of Doda are crying for help. Most of the areas where road links have been snapped are facing crisis of food items, ration, kerosene oil, cooking gas, vegetables etc. The power and water supply to many rural areas is still affected and could not be restored.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Poonch-Rajouri Range A K Attri disclosed that dead bodies of three family members were recovered from the debris in remote Kandi ( Budhal) area of Rajouri. Their house came under land-slides yesterday. All the three dead bodies have been retrieved by police with the help of villagers.
The deceased have been identified as Mohd Aslam (42), son of Mohd Shafi, his wife Razia Begum and daughter Zubina Begum (15). All the three were inside when the land-slide hit their house at a hill. SHO Kotranka and Tehsildar also visited the area along with Revenue team today. He said relief work to many areas has been launched but snapping of road and tele-communication links are the major hurdles being faced by the Administration. Main Kotranka bridge has also suffered damage and the connectivity to many Budhal villages has been snapped.
The DIG further said that search operation along the nallah in Lam area of Nowshera and Manawar Tawi continued even today but no more bodies of the missing marriage party members could be recovered. Four bodies were recovered yesterday, he maintained.
Reports from Reasi said that body of a police constable who was missing from Arnas area for the last three days, was recovered from the bank of river Chenab near Talwara today. He has been identified as Ghulam Ali (30), son of Mohd Ashraf, resident of Doda. He went missing from Kosar Bakkal area in Arnas during rain three days ago. His body was sent to his home village.
DIG Udhampur Reasi Range, Gareeb Dass told the Excelsior that today nearly 100 SDRF men, Army and police men along with locals continued digging work at Saddal village near Panjar in Pancheri where over 31 persons are still missing in the land-slide but no success could be achieved. He said the help of dog squad is also being sought to retrieve the bodies. The village is about 4 kms away from road and it is not possible to carry JCBs or dozers at the site. They all are working manually to retrieve bodies.
Mr Dass further said that IAF helicopters carried out sorties to some parts of Mahore and Chasana and also in Pancheri and dropped food material. He said from Katra over 10,000 packets of one lakh cooked Poories, vegetables besides two trucks of mineral water were rushed to Kashmir for distribution among trapped people through IAF aircrafts via Jammu today. The Administration was trying to reach out to the people in far flung areas but road connectivity is the major hurdle and even the tele-communication system has also collapsed.
SSP National Highway, Dr Haseeb Mughal told the Excelsior that nearly 500 persons who were trapped in various parts of Kashmir Valley crossed sliding zones near Ramsoo and reached Ramban through tranship. He said the road from Batote to Ramban and up to 2 kms ahead of Ramsoo has now been cleared. From Qazigund to Banihal the road has been restored. Today about 18 kms of road from Banihal up to sliding area towards Ramsoo has also been cleared by BRO men. Four dozers are working at Gangroo where nearly 200 mts of road has washed away. Singni area is another bottle neck which is creating problem. Dr Mughal said it may take about three more days to restore traffic on the National Highway. Rushing relief and food material from Jammu side to Valley would be the priority after highway opening.
The SSP said that Batote, Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar roads have also been restored fully for light and heavy traffic. Batote-Ramban road was cleared yesterday and now highway is through up to 2 kms ahead of Ramsoo. The supply of essential commodities, LPG, vegetables and other goods can be transported to these areas from tomorrow. The restoration work on other link roads is going on, Dr Mughal maintained.
In Poonch, the Army team led by Brigade Commander N S Brar and Dy Commander CD Singh constructed temporary bridge at Darungali nallah near Nangali Sahib and fully restored traffic to Poonch. Nearly 300 jawans were engaged for the restoration work. They cleared the highway at around 3 pm today. A portion of main Sher-e-Kashmir bridge on Poonch river has already washed away and the link has been restored via Kalai bridge leading to Mandi tehsil. The land-slides between Surankote and Poonch were also cleared. So light and heavy traffic has been restored between Jammu-Rajouri and Poonch. Mendhar and Mandi Roads were cleared yesterday.
At Kalaithal village in Poonch, six houses collapsed today in a land -slide this morning. The family members had abandoned their houses yesterday sensing danger. The victims are- Haji Abdul Rashid, Ex-ASI Police Mohd Hanief, Mohd Rafi, Khadam Hussain and Fazal Hussain.
Reports reaching here from various areas said that tents, blankets and other relief material has not yet reached many far-flung areas of Mahore, Bhamag, Landhar, Gool-Gulabgarh, Kandi-Budhal, Basantgarh-Lati, Dudu besides Mohu Mangat, Pogal Paristan, Loran and Saujian in Mandi and some parts of Doda. Despite tall claims of administration, no tents/ blankets and food material have been provided them. In Malas area of Mahore, over 2000 people have turned homeless but no tents or blankets have been provided.
In Surankote and Mendhar the administration provided nearly 200 tents and 200 blankets besides other material to the affected people. In Mendhar, Tehsil authorities failed to distribute this material today despite demand of the affected people, on the plea that lists are yet coming from Patwaris.
Deputy Commissioner Samba, Mubarak Singh said that in the entire district 298 houses were damaged fully and 1460 partially in the rains and floods. Water supply schemes , Irrigation works, power and road infrastructure has also suffered extensive damage besides paddy and other crops. Hundreds of kanals of land along with standing crops washed away in floods. The DC has projected total loss of around Rs 68 crores in the district.
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