*3 more bodies recovered in Pancheri, NH remains blocked on 8th day
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 11: While the land link to Kashmir continued to be snapped on the 8th consecutive day, the civil administration in Jammu region is facing lot of hardships in dropping food and other relief material in the mountainous and other inaccessible areas of Reasi, Rajouri, Ramban, Udhampur and Poonch.
The Administration in Jammu region has geared up its relief and rehabilitation operation, following numerous complaints of the public from the remote and inaccessible areas. The Divisional Commissioner Jammu Shantmanu today talked to several Deputy Commissioners and asked them to intensify relief and rehabilitation work and directed Revenue officials to reach out to the public and assess the ground situation and provide relief to the needy victims. The strict directions were passed on to the field staff for paying visit to their respective areas and gather actual details regarding damages and losses suffered by the public.
The Sarpanchs of the respective areas have been asked to report directly to their Deputy Commissioners, if the concerned Revenue and Relief officials do not visit the affected areas of their respective Panchayats. In Mahore and Kotranka area, the relief was provided to some locations while many far-flung areas of Mahore and Kandi-Budhal could not be covered due to non-availability of choppers. Some complaints have received from Rajouri that the rain, flood affected villagers are being asked to provide affidavits regarding their losses and also get forms from the Photostat shops for getting relief. They are being made to shell out Rs 50 to 60 for Affidavits and matter to be typed on it and Rs 10 for the application form. For this, they are facing lot of inconvenience. This practice was also said to be going on at Reasi and even in Poonch.
District Administration Rajouri claimed to have rushed three trucks of ration to Kotranka area today as the road has been cleared up to Tehsil headquarters from Rajouri. Budhal, Peeri, Parodi, Khawas and many other areas are still inaccessible. There are 15 Panchayats in Khawas and ten in Budhal area.
Dy Commissioner Rajouri, Jitender Kumar Singh when contacted said that due to non-availability of chopper today the air-dropping to many identified locations could not be done but vehicles were dispatched to many remote areas where road links have been restored. He said adequate supply of ration has been rushed to Kotranka tehsil headquarters and from there, it will be carried to different locations which are still cut-off. The main bridge at Kotranka, connecting Budhal could not be fully restored but light vehicles can move.
Mr Singh admitted that even today, the relief material to Khawas and parts of Kotranka and Budhal could not be dropped due to non-availability of choppers. “We have sent the requisition to the Divisional Commissioner Jammu and chopper is now being made available tomorrow. We have provided 135 small, 10 big tents, 900 blankets, 255 mattresses, 120 `Terpals’, 940 tarpulin sheets, 54 untensil boxes and clothes to the affected people so far,” the DC maintained.
He further said that Rajouri district administration has distributed Rs 1.5 lakh each to the kin of 88 flood and rain victims. “Nearly, 146 quintals of ration has also been supplied. About 350 kits containing 10 kg rice, 10 kg `Atta’, one kg sugar, milk, tea and medicines packets have been stocked at Rajouri air-base for distribution to the remote areas of Khawas, Budhal (Kotranka), Gambir Muglan, Kotli- Kalaban, (Manjakote) and other identified locations but the Revenue and Relief staff kept waiting for the choppers for the whole day at local air strip. I personally spoke to the Divisional Commissioner for taking up the matter with the Air Force authorities and I was told this evening that chopper will be provided tomorrow. No doubt, most of the choppers and IAF aircrafts are busy in Kashmir and other affected areas but some sorties are required to be rushed immediately for providing relief to the people suffering in remote mountainous areas of Rajouri,” Mr Singh maintained.
Reports from various parts of Rajouri district said that many people whose houses got collapsed, have taken shelter in Government schools and `Panchayat Ghars’. The ration and relief material for over 350 affected families from Khawas, Kotranka and Budhal is being airlifted. Some of the most inaccessible areas like Kot Chalwal, Khawas, Nara Bamala, Dhar Sakri, Kanthole, Channi Parat, Targain, Keri, Badal etc have been identified and the focus is being laid on the areas where people have to move on- foot in the absence of road link. In many Dhoks at Pir Panjal in Rajouri, there are no reports of the villagers trapped.
In remote Mallas area of Gulabgarh (Mahore), no relief material could be air-dropped even on the fifth day of the tragedy at the village, rendering over 2000 people homeless. The Minister Incharge Revenue Aijaz Khan, MLA Gulabgarh Abdul Ghani Malik along with Dy Commissioner Reasi, Mohd Shafi Bhat conducted aerial survey of several remote and mountainous areas of Reasi which are still cut off. There is strong resentment among the people of the area against the Administration for its alleged failure to reach up to them till today.
Dy Commissioner, Mr Bhat also claimed that due to non-availability of required number of choppers and inadequate sorties, the relief operation is being delayed. He said under such circumstances, the Administration is feeling helpless. Mr Bhat said, “We have identified about 34 locations in Mahore, Gulabgarh, Bhamag and other areas of district which are inaccessible and mountainous. There is no road link. We want to rush relief material but in the absence of chopper service, we can not drop. Yesterday, and even today we managed to cover about 10-12 locations but more sorties are needed to be carried out in these locations for the needy villagers,” Mr Bhat added.
The DC further disclosed that today IAF chopper carried out several sorties and air-dropped 15 qtls ration at Jamaslan, 10 qtls at Jirdi, 16 qtls at Lamsura, 10.5 qtls at Jij Bagli, 8 qtls at Bhaggu Dhar (Mahore), 19 qtls at Sarolkote (Bhamag), 10 qtls at Bharote (Bhamag and 20 qtls at Panasa (Thakralote) in district Reasi. Tomorrow also the IAF choppers would carry out air- sorties in other locations. He claimed that many roads are still closed but Reasi-Mahore link has been restored. Mahore-Sungri-Chasana and Mahore-Gool links are still blocked. Work is being carried out to open other link roads.
So far total 18 deaths have been reported in the district and Relief cheques have been distributed among most of the kin dependants of the deceased persons. The DC however, admitted that tents and blankets besides other material could not be provided to the affected people of Malas village Mahore. Mr Bhat said he had demanded 500 tents including small and big but was provided just ten. 1000 blankets have reached the district headquarters and the distribution will be started from tomorrow. 250 blankets have been provided to the affected families of Seri village near Dera Baba by the Mata Vaishhnodevi Shrine Board authorities.
“We have pressed for the demands of tents for the homeless families of the district and are still waiting for the response. Let the tents come, we will definitely provide to the people from Malas and other areas,” Mr Bhat said.
Meanwhile, in Poonch, Mendhar, Mandi and Surankote many families are putting up in temporary camps established in schools, other Govt buildings and some religious places. In many areas of Balakote the administration has not reached up the affected people. At Bhata Durian schools and Panchayat Ghar nearly 25 families are taking refuge. At Dharati and Baruti and Balakote Forward many people are sitting in Government schools. No relief material has been provided to them. They are waiting for the Relief team to visit the area. There is acute shortage of food items, ration, kerosene oil etc. Mendhar-Nakka Majari and Harni to BG roads are still blocked. Many links are still cut off.
SDPO Surankote Ajay Sharma said that Bafliaz- Surankote road was restored today while Mughal Road up to Poshana from Bafliaz (28 km) has been cleared. The restoration work is continued on war footing for carrying supplies to Kashmir via this road. He said many flood victims are taking refuge in schools at Surankote and they are being taken care of by Administration. Long range police patrols have been sent to Hill Kaka and other inaccessible locations to assess situation. There is no untoward incident reported so far in last two-three days.
Meanwhile, the power and water supply to many areas has been badly hit and could not be restored. Worst is the condition in Mendhar where water is not available to the public for the last 10 days. Power has also not been restored fully. The public also staged massive protest on Wednesday at Mendhar town against PHE, PDD and District Administration for failure to restore water and power.
Assistant Commissioner Poonch, Shafiq Ahmed said that Surankote-Bafliaz road where a long patch of over 400 meters had washed away, was restored today. Experts visited Sher-e-Kashmir bridge at Poonch and they had assessment about restoration/ repair work which would be launched shortly. The Army has restored the Jammu -Poonch road link via Kalai bridge by constructing temporary bridge on a Darungli nallah, which was also washed away in floods. The food material, ration vegetables etc has started reaching to various parts of Poonch. The situation is improving, Most of the links have been restored but some inaccessible areas need attention and air-lifting of relief material.
Reports from Udhampur said that three more dead bodies of the villagers were recovered from Saddal land slides zone of Pancheri today. Seven dead bodies have already been recovered by the rescue team so far. The deceased are said be a middle aged man, a woman and a child from the family of one Shounku Ram. The manual digging at the site is continued.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur ,Yasha Mudgal said that 27 deaths have been reported in the district so far with the recovery of dead bodies from Saddal in Pancheri. Nearly 550 houses were fully damaged and 2000 partially in the district. More than 200 cattle have been killed and nearly same number of cattle sheds got perished in rains and floods. 31 persons are said to be missing from Saddal village in Pancheri and two bodies were recovered today and the number has reduced to 29 now. Joint rescue teams are working at the site. Nearly 75 people of this village have been turned home less and they are being provided all sort of help. She said the relief material has also been air-dropped at Ladda, Galyote, Ajjal, Kouser, Sorangali, Surajkund and Barajal areas which are inaccessible. So far 1000 blankets and 1500 tarpaulin/ tents have been distributed among the victims.
Meanwhile Defence spokesman, Northern Command, Col S D Goswami said that in heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir and the consequent floods resulted in major deterioration of roads affecting the connectivity for about 1000 km of road in Kashmir and approximately 1100 km of roads in Jammu region. He said the National Highway ( NH-44), which is the major lifeline connecting Kashmir with Jammu, was also cut off. The damage includes washing away of roads and bridges, formation works of the roads and multiple landslides at numbers of locations.
The spokesman said that Northern Command of the Army as part of `Operation Megh Rahat’, Army Engineers and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) took up the mammoth task of restoring the connectivity in the State in addition to maintenance and up-gradation of the existing road network. Equipment, machinery and men are deployed 24 x 7 for any arising eventuality.
A total of 200 Dozers / Excavators /JCBs, 300 Tippers / Dumpers and 5000 personnel in Kashmir region and 220 Dozers / Excavators / JCBs, 200 Tippers / Dumpers and 4000 personnel in Jammu region are working day and night since the calamity broke out for restoration of road network in the State. Over 500 landslides and roads sinkages have been addressed in Jammu region alone and equal number in the Kashmir region. A number of bridges have been damaged / washed away in Kashmir and Jammu regions which have necessitated the construction / maintenance of the same by Army.
Col Goswami said that Jammu- Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) is open for traffic from Jammu up to Ramsu and from Ramsu to Khanabal (Anantnag) through Jawahar Tunnel. At Ramsu, Army Engineer and BRO are working day and night to clear three major landslides which are critical for opening of the road. Roads from Srinagar to Zojila and Srinagar to Baramula have already been opened. Road from Batote to Kishtwar and further to Anantnag via Chhatroo has been opened for light traffic. Road from Jammu to Poonch via Akhnoor has also been opened, the spokesman added.
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