* Mughal Road being opened to rush relief material to Kashmir
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 8: With three more deaths in Rajouri and Kishwtar area today, the toll in last five days in rains and floods in Jammu region has reached 211 while Border Roads Organization has intensified its operation to clear Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which closed for the last five consecutive days, whereas, four more dead bodies of the members of marriage party, who washed away in Lam area of Nowshera, were recovered from Manawar Tawi in Sunderbani and Khour area today.
A senior police official said that nearly 1500 vehicles, including light and medium, have been stranded on all along the National Highway from Nagrota Bypass, up to Qazigund on both sides of the highway. He said the road was washed away at several places between Ramban and Banihal and moreover, a large patch of nearly 400 ft has gone down the deep nallah near Ramsoo. The BRO men have also sought Army Engineering Regiment help for the early restoration of the road.
It has been reported from various places along this highway that more than 3000 passengers and operators have been stranded at Banihal, Qazigund, Ramban, Chanderkot, Batote, Kud, Udhampur, Dhar Road and Nagrota Bypass. As the weather improved, the BRO intensified its work and engaged more men and machinery for operation clearance so that relief and rescue material could be carried more quickly. The senior GREF officials and District Administration Ramban was closely supervising the highway clearance work. Many inter- district roads were also closed and that many of them were restored by this evening. The Jammu-Poonch road which was blocked till last evening between Surankote and Poonch last evening was also restored this afternoon. Batote-Doda-Kishtwar and Katra Reasi road has also been opened to traffic. Mendhar-Poonch road was also restored.
Massive operation is being launched to open Mughal road as early as possible so that more and more relief material could be rushed to Kashmir areas which are marooned. It is not possible to reach out to many areas of Kashmir and National Highway at many places ahead of Anantnag is marooned.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Shantmanu and IGP Jammu, Rajesh Kumar paid visit to Poonch today and also had on the spot assessment of the damages. They also visited Sher-e-Kashmir bridge site, Darungali Nallah and other areas. They also had discussion with senior GREF, Army officers and engineers of R&B to explore possibilities for launching clearance work on Mughal road so that more rescue and relief material could be rushed to Kashmir. They sought the Army assistance to clear Mughal road so that relief material could be rushed to Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag and parts of Srinagar districts.
DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range Gareeb Dass told the Excelsior that so far seven dead bodies and a part ( Lower Limb) of eighth body was recovered from Saddal village of Panjar area in Pancheri. He said 31 villagers are still missing and the teams of SDRF, Police and Army are on the job to retrieve the bodies from the debris. He said the slide is still moving slowly and it is very difficult task in the absence of machines/JCBs/ Dozers etc. Mannual work is going on at the site. Two sorties were carried out to the area by Chopper and some relief and rescue material was dropped. A lady- Taro Devi, who was injured at Saddal landslides in Pancheri area was air-lifted to Udhampur hospital. A bridge which got collapsed in Mahore area has been restored by Army.
The persons who are missing or feared dead at Saddal village near Panjar (Pancheri) land-slides are identified by a senior police official as -Satya Devi, wife of Kapoor Singh and her daughter Lalita Devi, Deep Singh, son of Shambu Ram of Ladda, Prem Singh, son of Indru, and his wife Khakhru, Pushpa Devi, wife of Bhan Singh, Bhan Singh, son of Indru, and his two daughters Ashu Devi and Nishu Devi and one son Sat Paul Singh, Sanjay Singh, son of Manda, Mukhtyar Singh, son of Suram Singh, Prithavi Singh, son of Triloku, Jamitu, son of Sunder, Gashu, son of Jamitu, and his two minor daughters, Shaunku, son of Mangu, Jatti, wife of Shaunku and his one son, Pritam Singh and his wife and one son, Mohan Singh, son of Shaunku, and Gardari Lal with six other members of the family. Seven dead bodies have already recovered from the site. With this expected toll has reached 37 at Saddal village in Panjar area of Pancheri.
The DIG said that seven sorties were carried to Mallas, Shajru and other parts of Mahore where food packets were air dropped for the villagers rendered homeless. Police team along with a Naib Tehsildar reached there and the villagers were provided assistance today. He said as many as 20 to 25 houses have been collapsed fully while many others partially in that area. A police post at Shajru which was also extensively damaged was shifted to some other location. Seven more houses were fully damaged in Malas and Ghari area today.
Meanwhile, four more dead bodies of the marriage party members who washed away along with bus in Lam area of Nowshera were recovered today. The deceased are identified as Kamaljeet Singh (6 yrs), son of Harvinder Singh of Rajpura Bhata, Gursimran Kour (2), daughter of Karamjeet Singh of Rajpura Bhata, Bahadur Singh (35), son of Jagat Singh of Rajpura Bhata and Dardyal Singh, son of Inder Singh of Rajpura Bhata. Bodies of Hardyal and Bahadur Singh were recovered from Khour area. With this total 44 bodies have been recovered so far out of 63 deceased persons.
In Rajouri, two persons died in two separate incidents of house collapse and land slides in Manjakote and Kalakote areas today. While Mohd Aslam (35), son of Abdul Hussain of Hayatpura in Manjakote died after a cattle shed collapsed, one Doda Khan, son of Hallam Din of Mogla in Kalakote died in land slides near his house.
Deputy Commissioner Rajouri said that apart from Nowshera bus accident victims, 27 persons have been killed so far in different incidents in rains and floods in last five days. He said 3042 houses were fully damaged, 6168 partially, 1967 cattle-sheds, fully and 2682 partially and 469 cattle perished. Eight shops and 66 Gharats were also damaged in rains and floods.
Reports from Kishtwar said that one Nazir Hussain, son of Sadhu Bakerwal, resident of Dhanni Bakhta in Kathua was killed in a land slide at Bhalu Dhar in Chhatroo area of Kishtwar late last evening. In Kishtwar district 22 houses have been damaged fully while 240 partially. 36 cattle got perished, 550 villagers were rescued while 156 villages have affected.
In Doda, 56 houses were damaged fully and 554 partially while 134 cattle sheds also got perished. A total 110 villages were affected with rains and floods. In Ramban 97 houses were damaged fully and 269 partially. In Jammu district a total 900 houses were damaged fully, 1100 partially while in Reasi 101 houses were damaged fully and 130 partially. The Reasi district administration has claimed 16 deaths so far.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Yasha Mudgal said that in Udhampur district 504 houses have been damaged fully and 996 partially so far while reports from various other areas are still reaching. Nearly, 122 cattle sheds were also damaged and 79 cattle died. So far, 27 deaths have been confirmed from various areas with the recovery of bodies. Over 31 were missing from Panjar village of Pancheri, she maintained.
Dy Commissioner, Kathua Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that as per reports received from various tehsils, a total 158 houses were damaged fully and 219 partially. He said 23 Pucca houses were also damaged besides 53 Govt school buildings. Besides this, 32 Water Supply Schemes/ PHE works, 135 Irrigation works, and 74 electric transformers were damaged in last five days. 83 roads have suffered damage while land measuring nearly 18,000 kanals got affected due to crop damage and soil erosion.
In Mendhar area 18 Pucca and 75 Kacha houses were damaged fully, 113 partially and 12 cattle sheds also got perished. Nearly 50 cattle were killed and 150 kanals of land washed away in floods. Four shops were also damaged fully. An Army jawan trapped in land slides was rescued by the 49 RR jawans from Gursai area of Mendhar. He has been identified as Akram Hussain, son of Mohd Sadiq, resident of Harmutta Gursai. He has been admitted to SDH Mendhar. The jawan was rescued after 6-hour efforts of the RR soldiers.
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