Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 16: For rehabilitation of the families affected due to flash floods and resultant landslides in Udhampur, the District administration is taking help of reputed Geology experts to identify safer places, which are not vulnerable to natural calamities like earthquake, landslides, floods etc.
In this connection, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, has been approached for carrying vulnerability mapping of the district, which witnessed huge devastation during the recent flash floods and resultant landslides, official sources informed the Excelsior.
A high-level team of experts from the Institute is arriving here soon for a recce of different areas of the district and undertaking advanced level of research to identify the safer location, sources added.
Pertinent to mention here that the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, is an autonomous research institute of the Department of the Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. The Institute has grown into a centre of excellence in Himalayan Geology and is recognized as a National Laboratory of international repute with well equipped laboratories and other infrastructural facilities for undertaking advanced level of research in the country.
“While rescue and relief operations are continuing, the District administration has also started to focus on the rehabilitation of the affected families and in this regard, the paramount concern is to identify safer locations which are not vulnerable to natural calamities like earthquakes, landslides, flood, etc,” said Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Yasha Mudghal, while confirming that a team of Geology experts was arriving here from the Wadia Institute within days.
This shall facilitate not only in safer rehabilitation of the affected families but also guide the district administration for its future planning regarding the location and type of infrastructure requirement, she added.
The Deputy Commissioner further informed that the District Administration was also approaching Geology Department of Jammu University for its expert opinion and assistance in the vulnerability mapping.
According to the official figures, due to flash floods and resultant landslides in Udhampur district, 35 deaths have occurred while about 1232 houses were fully damaged and over 4700 partially damaged. The calamity has also led to loss of over 500 hundred cattle and damages to nearly 300 cattle sheds. A great loss has also occurred to public infrastructure including 143 roads, 210 water supply schemes and power stations.
At remote village Saddal in Panjar area, about 50 kms from Udhampur town, where a major tragedy struck due to massive landslide, so far 13 dead bodies have been recovered while vigorous efforts were on to trace the missing 28 persons, who are also feared to be dead.
So far, the ex-gratia amount of more than Rs 30 lacs has been disbursed among the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster. Nearly 2000 persons have been evacuated and rescued to the safer places while 19 camps have been established at various places in the district for providing temporary shelter to the affected people, informed Additional Deputy Commissioner Vikas Sharma.
He further said that special teams have been constituted and deputed to badly affected sites including Bali, Mali, Basht, Dhanori, Barmeen etc where over 3000 tarpaulin / tents and over 2000 blankets have been distributed among the needy and this process was continuing.
The efforts to restore and repair major infrastructure damages are also on full swing. Out of the 94 blocked roads, 75 have already been opened while 74 schemes of PHE have been restored, he added.
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