M A I N   N E W S

J-K flood fury
Relief work picks up as waters recede
Essential supplies being rushed in
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

The situation has, however, returned to near normal in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts. But flooding has caused extensive damage to public and private property, including roads and bridges, and paddy crop in these areas.

At least 19 villages of Bandipore district in north Kashmir continue to remain cut off. Officials say essential supplies are being rushed in through three major highways — the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, Mughal Road and Kishtwar-Sinthan road.

“In technical terms, rescue operations have been concluded since there are no people to be rescued from rooftops or inundated areas,” said OP Singh, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

While some areas are still under three to four feet of water, people continue to occupy their dwellings with incidents of theft being reported from certain areas.

While women and children have been moved to safer places, male members of the family have been staying in their houses, moving in and out of their dwellings occasionally to fetch essential commodities. The NDRF chief said they had rescued over 50,000 people so far and focus was now on relief work.

Rescue ops over

In technical terms, rescue operations have been concluded since there are no people to be rescued from rooftops or inundated areas.

OP Singh, Director General, ndrf