JAMMU: Over 96,000 people have so far been evacuated to safety from flood-ravaged parts of Jammu and Kashmir by Armed forces as the rescue and relief operation enters its 10th day today.

"Over 96,000 persons have been rescued so far by the Armed forces and NDRF from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the state till today," Col S.D. Goswami, PRO, Army's Northern Command told PTI.

He said 'Mission Sahayata' in Kashmir and 'Mission Rahat' in Jammu region have entered their 10th day as 84 transport aircraft and helicopters of Air Force and Army Aviation Corps and 35,000 troops have been pressed into service.

Of the 30,000 troops involved in massive rescue and relief operation, 21,000 are tasked in the Kashmir Valley and 9,000 in Jammu region, he added.

So far, 930 sorties have been undertaken by the choppers and aircraft of the services, out of which 97 were carried out today. 1,237 tonnes of relief materials were dropped by the Air Force.

As many as 224 boats of Athe rmy and 148 boats of the NDRF have been pressed into service, he said. — PTI

POONCH: One part of the Dorungli Bridge, built near Poonch river on the Dorungli Nala that was washed away by flash floods, has been made operational.

The bridge, which is the only link from Poonch to Rajouri was restored by army engineers, troops from the Poonch Brigade and Border Roads Organisation personnel.


The army has also started reconstruction work with the weather clearing up a bit.
After the breakdown of the Shere-Kashmir Bridge, residents of Poonch were completely cut off from the rest of the Jammu region. –Agencies

DHARAMSALA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday mourned the deaths in the devastating floods in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

In a missive to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Dalai Lama expressed sadness at the loss of life and property.

He wrote that he understood that everything is being done to rescue those affected and that the relief efforts are underway. He also expressed his condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in the devastating calamity.

As a token of sympathy, a donation from the Dalai Lama Trust has been offered to the Chief Minister's Flood Relief Fund, his office said in a statement in Dharamsala - the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. –Agencies

JAMMU: Scores of villages in the worst-hit four districts of Jammu region have not yet been reached by rescue teams even though rain has stopped for the third day on Thursday.

The districts of Doda, Reasi, Rajouri and Udhampur have been severely hit.
Some residents in cut-off villages in Rajouri district have contested official claims that food packets have been air-dropped in these inaccessible areas.

Residents of Dharal, Thana mandi, Khawas, Peeri, Kandii, Budhal and other villages have not been reached by any rescuer in the past four days, they said.

Puran Singh, a former minister, marooned in Kewal village of Rajouri district, said he had somehow contacted the district magistrate in Rajouri who promised rescue, but nobody came to rescue him in the past three days.

Thousands of homes, government buildings and panchayat offices have been submerged completely or partially in the Jammu region.
Residents of some of the areas in Rajouri, Reasi, Doda and Udhampur are forced to live under the open sky.

BSNL officials told IANS in Jammu that out of its 371 exchanges in the Kashmir Valley, 121 have been completely damaged and rendered non-functional. 
"We have restored 31 of these and more are likely to be restored by this (Thursday) evening," an official said.

Water level in two major rivers of Jammu region - Chenab and Tawi - continued to retreat Thursday as the weather remained dry here.

Compared to the valley where there is total chaos with the administration admitting that more than four lakh people still have to be rescued, the state government and its officials are more visible in the Jammu region.-IANS

NEW DELHI: The state of Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with the worst floods in a hundred year. Preliminary reports place the death toll at two hundred; the actual figure may be much more. Lakhs have remained marooned over many days and thousands have been left homeless. No doubt, the tragedy is of mammoth proportions. 

The primary thought goes out to those who have been caught in the throes of this tragedy; their helplessness against the havoc that the disaster has wreaked on their lives. One cannot help but lament their pitiable state as they witnessed their homes being washed away, the loss of their dear ones, their own fight for survival, as the ogres of hunger, cold, disease and ruined lives haunt them.

One wonders where the inestimable Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his gang of so--called separatist leaders have disappeared. Are they not self-proclaimed true voices of Kashmir? Are they not the torch bearers of the Kashmiri struggle and custodians of Kashmiriyat? Why are they silent today? Why are they not out in the streets with their cadre supervising relief work, or at least standing by with those who follow them in their incessant stone pelting? 

Surely some of the money that they profess to collect from the people of Kashmir as Zakat (donation) for their cause of “independence” can be diverted for the good of the people under such testing circumstances. It would be great to see Syed Geelani giving even a biscuit to a child. It would be a welcome change from the incessant demands that he makes all the time. 

The state administration that holds primary responsibility for dealing with the situation is, by itself, in a state of shock. It has been caught off-guard. Busy in playing out local politics, it has not paid attention to issues such as disaster management. It is the people who are now suffering the brunt of its ineptness. 

Take the instance of a bus swept away by a flash flood in Nowshera, Rajouri. The loss of human lives in this single incident is feared to be seventy. While the locals looked on helplessly and trapped passengers prayed for relief, the civil administration arrived some four hours after the incident was reported. 

Compare this with the manner in which the army has responded. It was the first to reach the spot and carry out rescue operations despite the inclement weather, the incessant rain and the swirling waters. Army soldiers pulled out the submerged vehicle and saved a few lives. This was simply a harbinger of many more horrific stories to come where the onus of action and reaction fell only on the resolute army soldiers. 

Being sensitive to the magnitude of the tragedy as it unfolded, the army did not wait for the necessary sanction to give aid to the civil authority. Within hours of the situation developing, the army had unilaterally launched Operation Megh Raahat to provide relief to the people across the state starting from Poonch where the tragedy first struck. It went into rescue mode immediately and without fanfare. 

As the land got enveloped in a disaster of epic proportion, the army has been the torch bearer around which the rescue and relief operation is being carried out. Undoubtedly, many more agencies, including the Air Force, disaster management authority and paramilitary forces are putting in a herculean effort. 

The state government, led by the chief minister himself, is doing what it can to the very best of its ability. It is, however, the army which is generating hope and confidence amongst the marooned people, and that despite having suffered considerable losses. 

The statements issued and the actions taken by leaders of the community, state and nation at such times reflect their honesty of purpose and their effectiveness. 

Prime Minister Narender Modi, in this context, has shown that he is a true statesman and leader. He visited the flood-affected areas on ground as opposed to an aerial survey as is the normal practice; he termed it as a natural disaster and expressed unmitigated solidarity with the people of Kashmir. He offered all possible help to our neighbours who are also struck by this tragedy, despite the fact, that not even ten days ago they were shelling our posts and our people. 

He followed his words with action by offering a more than a generous relief package to the state and placing the entire machinery of the central government at the disposal of the relief effort. 

The Army Chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, has been literally camping in Kashmir to motivate his men into giving off their best. A man of few words and lots of action, he is not giving statements from Delhi, but is engrossed with the situation on ground. 

It is also refreshing to hear Chief Minister Omar Abdullah speaking well of the army and the central government, considering that most of the soliloquies that he delivers normally are either aimed at expressing his ire against the central government or at bashing the army. 

As the rescue and relief efforts are underway, the separatists may well be busy conferring with their masters across the border about ways and means to malign the Government of India and the Indian Army even in this situation. 

One would not be surprised if the Hurriyat has a hand in instigating people to attack and curse the rescuers as is being reported. The leaders may even have relocated to their plush and safe bungalows in Delhi to return only once the rehabilitation process is complete and voice their own negative assessments. 

This is not the time for recrimination; it is a time to work together to save human lives. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is doing what he can and that too with utmost honesty. He and his government can be questioned about the failures later; now is the time to stand by him, assist him and motivate him. 
Do the separatist have the courage to move on this path? Will Syed Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq please respond? –Agencies

SRINAGAR: Twenty per cent of the water supply has been restored in Kashmir and efforts are being made on war footing to restore communication links, both physical and telecom, in the Valley which is witnessing the worst floods in a century.

Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered all government employees to report to duty by this evening so that efforts can be ramped up to salvage the situation.

"Twenty per cent of the water supply has been restored and telecom services have been restored partially. Efforts are on to clear the roads," Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Rohit Kansal told PTI here.

Water supply has been severely affected in half of Kashmir.

Kansal said in a bid to step up relief operations, the administration has ordered all state government employees to report to duty by this evening.

He also asserted that all deposits of account holders in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank are safe.

Giving an overview of the extent of damage after floods struck the Valley, Kansal said out of the 12 districts of Kashmir, eight were affected either fully or partially affecting 20 lakh people. Four of the districts were cut off.

The floods resulted in damage of 50 bridges and 170 km of roads, he said.
At least 45,000 people have been evacuated either by air or boats by rescuers. At least 5000 people, mostly belonging to other states, have been airlifted out of the flood ravaged state.

The authorities have set up 150 relief camps where one lakh people have taken shelter even as 200 tonnes of relief material has been supplied so far.
SDM Srinagar Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said the first priority is to rescue the marooned people. It is a collective effort to salvage the situation in which the NDRF has a key role.

Shah said the administration is working hard to restore normalcy and the help of the community has also been sought.

He also pointed out that more relief supplies are required to give solace to the flood-affected people. PTI

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has stepped up efforts to provide succour to flood-affected people of Jammu and Kashmir and so far over 120 quintals of food material have been airlifted, while a relief camp has been set up in Srinagar.

"Till yesterday, 120 quintals of foodgrains had been airlifted to Kashmir from Amritsar. Relief camps have been set up at three places in Kashmir, including Gurudwara Shri Chatti Patshahi, Srinagar," SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur said on Tuesday.

He said that many of these people being rescued by the Army and other agencies are being brought to the relief camps being run by the SGPC, the apex religious body of the Sikhs.

The SGPC had also sent its two teams to Jammu and Kashmir for launching further relief operations.

"We are distributing food through langars (community kitchens) to the affected people of valley, who are suffering from worst natural disaster. We have despatched food material including rice, cooking oil, cereals, sugar, ghee, salt, tea and other essential items," he said, adding blankets had also been sent.

The relief material would be sent on daily basis till normalcy is restored in the valley, he said.

There are 18 gurdwaras in Srinagar, out of which 16 had been badly affected by the floods. Holy scriptures had been moved to upper floors in those gurdwaras.
Bhaur said, "For us, it is the question of humanity as a whole. We are extending help to everyone, be it Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus or anyone else. The tragedy has shaken entire humanity."

The SGPC on Tuesday had sent its first installment of the flood-relief material by air to Srinagar. — PTI

LUCKNOW: Hours after BJP leader Yogi Adityanath defied a ban on his election meeting here, police lodged an FIR against the controversial MP and other party leaders who participated in the rally.

SSP Praveen Kumar on Thursday said that cases were lodged late last night against Adityanath and others who participated in the meeting yesterday.

Defying the ban, Adityanath, the BJP's lead campaigner in UP, had addressed an election meeting in which he accused the SP government of following a communal agenda.

A district administration official said that "An FIR has been lodged against BJP candidate from Lucknow (east) seat Ashutosh Tandon Gopalji and others under various sections of the IPC at Ghazipur Police Station".

He said the entire meeting was videographed by the administration.
"Others (whose names are lodged in the FIR) include all those who are visible in the video," he said.

Other than Adityanath, BJP MPs Jagdambika Pal, Lallu Singh and former MP and father of Gopalji Lalji Tandon were present during the meeting.
The official said that a CD of the meeting would be sent to the Election Commission on Thursday.

"A CD is being send to the EC by a special messenger," he said.
Claiming that he was not allowed to hold meetings in Thakurdwara, Mainpuri and Nighasan where Assembly bye-elections are being held, Adityanath had addressed one of them using his mobile phone.

Later in the state capital, he defied police which had withdrawn permission to him to address an election meeting at Indira Nagar locality by appearing on the stage. 
Adityanath had accused the district administration of not allowing him to address the meeting at the behest of the Uttar Pradesh government.

"I had to hold meetings at Thakurdwara, Mainpuri and Nighasan but the district administration did not allow me to do so. The district administration had withdrawn permission on directions of the government in an illegal way," he had alleged.
BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the party would reply to the action taken by the administration legally.

"We have full faith in constitutional bodies. We did nothing wrong and Yogi went there only to meet the party workers," he said.
He alleged that initially the administration gave permission for the meeting, but withdrew it at the last moment.

"As we have already publicised the meeting, the leaders had to reach there. Besides neither public address system was used, nor any stage was set," he said.

The Chief Election Officer of Uttar Pradesh Umesh Sinha had sought a report from Lucknow district administration on the rally addressed by Adityanath.

The district administration has also been asked to provide a CD of the rally to ascertain whether the BJP MP had violated the Representation of People Act and the model code of conduct through his utterances. -PTI

Muzaffarnagar: In an embarrassment to the UP Police, a court here today refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet against BJP president Amit Shah in connection with the alleged hate speech made by him and returned it to the police.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sunder Lal refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet as the police had not followed the provisions of 173[2] CrPc in which they did not try to arrest the accused before filing the chargesheet in court.

the police did not seek warrant or attachment proceedings against the accused under the provisions laid down under 173[2] CrPc, the court said.

Returning the chargesheet to remove errors, the court said the police cannot filed chargesheet under Section 188 of the IPC as it should be filed as a private complaint by the officer concerned, who had imposed prohibitory orders which were violated.

Shah was yesterday chargesheeted by the police for his alleged hate speech during campaigning here for the Lok Sabha poll.

The chargesheet was filed against 49-year-old Shah in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Manoj Sidhu.

The charges were filed against Shah under Section 123(3) of Representation of the People Act for allegedly seeking votes on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community and under Section 188 of the IPC relating to disobedience to order promulgated by public servant.

The chargesheet had been filed under various sections of the IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, etc.), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 505 (false statement, rumour, etc.

circulated with intent to cause mutiny or offence against the public peace), and Section 123-3 of Representation of People Act (making an appeal to vote on the grounds of religion amounting to corrupt practice).

The police had registered a case against Shah for allegedly violating the model code following a direction from the Election Commission, which had also banned him from campaigning in the state on April 4.

Shah had landed in a major controversy for allegedly saying that the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were an opportunity to seek "revenge for the insult" inflicted during the riots in Muzaffarnagar last year. — PTI

PRETORIA: South African Judge Thokozile Masipa has cleared Olympic and paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius of all murder charges, saying he did not foresee he could kill anyone the night he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

“Clearly he did not subjectively foresee this as a possibility that he would kill the person behind the door, let alone the deceased as he thought she was in the bedroom,” Judge Masipa told a packed court, as tears streamed down Pistorius' face.

Pistorius could still be found guilty of culpable homicide, the equivalent of Britain’s manslaughter, if Judge Masipa believes the athlete was negligent in shooting dead Steenkamp.

Pistorius broke down in tears as Judge Masipa read out her verdict.

Shoulders shaking, the Olympic and paralympic star bowed his head and sobbed as he listened to Judge Masipa. 

The court has adjourned for a lunch break.— Reuters

NEW DELHI: The bar owners in Kerala will be able to serve liquor till September 30 as the Supreme Court Thursday ordered a status quo till then.

An apex court bench of Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice UU Lalit asked the Kerala High Court to hear the plea by the bar owners who have challenged the Kerala government notification asking them to pull down shutters on their businesses. The state order was effective Sep 11.

The court expressed the hope that the high court will decide the matter by Sep 30. 

The Kerala government order banning sale of liquor at the bars, other than 5-star hotels, was to come into force from 11 pm Thursday.-Agencies

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama today vowed to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State, as he announced a major expansion of the military campaign, including American airstrikes in Syria and the deployment of 475 more military advisers to Iraq, to achieve this goal.

"We will degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy," Obama said in his nationally televised speech in which he set no timeline to achieve his goal to defeat the terrorist group.

"America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat," he said, noting that the US will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists.

More than three dozen countries, in various capacities, have joined the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State or ISIL, the terrorist outfit that has gained control over a large part of Iraq and Syria, which is equal in size as that of Britain and poses a threat to the region.

"Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions so that we're hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense," the president said in his 15-minute speech.

"I've made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country wherever they are," the President said.

"That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven," he asserted.

Obama said the US will also increase its support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground and announced his decision to send 475 more military advisers to Iraq.

These additional military advisers will be deployed to Iraq to conduct the following missions: advise and assist the Iraqi Security Forces, conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights to increase US capacity to target ISIL, and coordinate the activities of the US military across Iraq, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Once all forces have arrived, the US military will have approximately 1,600 personnel in Iraq.

"Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding, improve our intelligence, strengthen our defenses, counter its warped ideology and stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of the Middle East," he said.

"I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil," he said, as he sought to assuage the concerns of people who are wary of a repeat of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner's forces on the ground," said the US President.

"It will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved, especially to the servicemen and -women who carry out these missions," he said.

"This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year to use force against anyone who threatens America's core interests, but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order," he said.

In two weeks, Obama will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council to further mobilise the international community around this effort.

"We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims, who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands," he said. — PTI

GUJARAT: A high alert has been sounded in Vadodara as the Sardar Sarovar Dam is overflowing after heavy rains in the catchment areas. Many low lying areas have also been submerged in the flood water. 

Despite the grim situation rescue work is in full swing.

Over 10,000 people have been shifted and given shelter in government schools and other safer places during the past 24 hours.

The Vishwamitri River is flowing above the danger mark and most of the evacuation was made from the villages of Savli, Dabhoi and Waghodiya talukas. 

Food packets, medicines and other essential commodities were also provided to the flood affected people. –Agencies