Srinagar/Leh, August 7
A large number of victims of the flash floods that wreaked havoc on a large part of Leh town and adjacent villages are still awaiting relief despite the fact that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had announced a compensation for the affected families.

“A majority of people are still waiting for the relief and at certain places the district administration seems to be absent. It is only the Army that has been providing medical and kitchen facilities to the affected families,” said Thewang Dolma, a resident of Leh. He said the continuing downpour was hampering the rescue operations and the district administration was ill-prepared to tackle any natural calamity of such a large scale in the area.

“With only two JCB machines to clear the debris, it seems to be an uphill task. We fear that some people might still be trapped under the debris and the death count might increase,” said Dolma. He added that an entire colony in Choglansar had been grounded and fear was that people might be trapped under the debris.

Dolma said the situation in some of the far-flung areas of the region was worst as they were completely cut off from the mainland and due to bad weather it was difficult to reach people.

“There is no source of information as the radio station, too, has been damaged and the radio sets are buried under the debris. The BSNL network is also down,” said Thewang Norbo, a resident of Leh. The building of Boys Higher Secondary School and the local hospital had been damaged. The bus stand, too, had been washed away. “The injured are being treated at a makeshift hospital in the town. Its like a mayhem in the entire area,” Norboo added.

However, elders in the area said they had never seen such a cloudburst in their lifetime.

Srinagar/Leh, August 7
People of Leh town, who were caught unawares by the flash floods triggered by a cloudburst, thought that the “hell had broken loose” on them and they were all going to die.

On the intervening night of August 5-6, residents of various villages of Leh suddenly woke up to the gushing sound of water, which was accompanied by a thunderstorm and a downpour.

“We were fast asleep when we woke up to the noise of gushing water and a thunderstorm. Soon our house was filled with water. We somehow managed to escape to a safer place, but many others were not so lucky as we saw many bodies floating on the water,” Sonam Joldan, a resident of Leh town, told The Tribune over the phone.

He said floodwater had brought some bodies into his house. Though Sonam was lucky that his family did not suffer any loss of life, his house collapsed due to the flash floods.

The residents of Leh had a ‘harrowing experience’ throughout the night as the ‘hell had opened its gates on the cold desert’. To save their lives, people ran towards higher places and took shelter at the monasteries located on the hilltops.

“For almost one hour it seemed that the hell had opened its doors on us and we all were going to die. We started holding mass prayers, as it was the end of the day for us. When the rain stopped for sometime, we rushed out to a higher place to take shelter there,” said Deachan Lahamo, another resident of Leh town. People took shelter in Shanti Stoopa, Stithuk monastery and an open field situated on a hilltop in Leh town.

“People are afraid to return to their homes as most of the houses have been damaged partially. They also fear that another flash flood might hit the area. Last night too there was a heavy rain and people spent a sleepless night under the sky,” said Lachamo.

As per reports, around 20 houses were completely damaged in the Hanu Thang area, about 150 km from Leh town, due to the heavy rain last night. However, there was no loss of life reported in the incident.

Jammu, August 7
Waiting to hear the voice of their parents, relatives and friends in Leh, Ladakh students studying here are worried about their safety.

Ladakh students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, broke down while paying tributes to those who lost their lives in the flash floods in Leh yesterday. The students were very upset as they could not contact their families.

Dechan Chosdol, a Class XII student, who belonged to the worst-affected Choglamsar village of Leh, was totally disheartened.

“On Friday night at 2:30 am, one of my friends informed about the calamity that claimed many lives in Leh. I am worried for my parents as I could not contact them due to the collapse of the communication system,” said Dechan.

“The cloudburst and floods have caused great destruction in Leh and it may have devoured my mud house in Hoglamsar village,” she said.

Most of the students wanted to go to Leh to inquire about the welfare of their near and dear ones. However, the suspension of air and road traffic had rendered them incapacitated to go to their homes.

The students appealed to the state government to immediately restore the communication and traffic network so that they could contact their families.

“My parents are safe but I am worried for my relatives, friends and people of my village, who are still missing,” said Stanzin Amgmo, a student of Class XI.

Tsering Dolma, another student, said, “My brother spoke to me in the morning, but I felt that he was hiding facts from me.”

All students jointly appealed to the government to intensify the rescue operations and provide relief to the affected people.

While addressing the students, principal of the school Gurucharan Singh assured full help and appealed to them not to panic.

Srinagar, August 7
With the situation remaining relatively calm after eight days of curfew restrictions, the authorities relaxed the restrictions in parts of the capital city and elsewhere in the Kashmir valley today, as no untoward incident was reported from any part of the Valley.

Rameez Reshi, who was critically injured in the police firing at Warpora near Sopore in Baramulla district, about 50 km north of here, died at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical sciences here this morning. His body was taken to his native village and special prayers, Nimaz-e-Jinaza, were offered that were attended by a large number of people. Rameez was injured when the police opened fire to quell demonstrators who attacked the local police station. The police said when a baton-charge and tear-gas shelling did not yield any result, it had to open fire and one person was injured.

In view of improvement in the situation, the authorities here relaxed curfew in parts of Srinagar city falling under eight police stations for two-and-a-half hours from 11.30 am. These included Raj Bagh, Ram Munshi Bagh, Karan Nagar, Kothi Bagh, Harwan and Shergarhi. There was no report of any untoward incident and the curfew relaxation was extended up to 4 pm.

Curfew had also been relaxed in other towns, including Ganderbal, Handwara and Sumbal, since last evening, the police here said.

Meanwhile, APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has written to the General Secretary of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), of which the Hurriyat is an observer. The Mirwaiz sought the OIC intervention in the prevailing situation in Kashmir in view of the continued curfew restrictions creating problems for people for want of food materials and medical facilities. He also sought the intervention of the OIC to impress upon India to end excesses on the people of Kashmir, who were faced with the restrictions for about two months now and during which at least 50 youths had been killed. The Mirwaiz, who continued to be under house arrest, has also expressed concern over the restrictions on offering of Friday prayers at the Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid for the sixth consecutive week yesterday.

The Geelani faction came out with a fresh calendar today. It called for a normal working day tomorrow, followed by a complete bandh on Monday and Tuesday, Pampore Chalo call on Wednesday and on Thursday all shops to be opened after 12 noon. It also called for a march to Pathar Masjid and Burzulla on Friday and “black day” on August 15. 

Jammu, August 7
A reception accorded to newly appointed Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC) president Shoaib Lone turned out to be a show of strength by the supporters of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz since no dissidents were present on the function.

Interestingly, RS Pathania, who has been appointed senior vice-president of the PYC with independent charge of the Jammu province, Vakar Rasool, newly appointed national general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), and Shahnawaz Khan, IYC national secretary, were absent.

As soon as Lone landed at the Jammu airport, supporters of Soz took him to the Congress headquarters. Only leaders and workers, who owe allegiance to the PCC chief, were present.

Although senior Congress leaders have maintained silence over Pathania and Rasool’s absence, sources said both leaders were not taken into confidence while formulating the programme to accord a reception to Pathania.

Insiders of the Congress said the pro-Soz faction had deliberately not taken other Youth Congress leaders into confidence, as they wanted to give an impression that they would not allow their rivals to interfere in the functioning of the party despite the fact that the high command had appointed some of their opponents on important positions.

As reported earlier, Shoaib Lone, who was appointed the PYC chief, was Soz’s choice while the dissidents, who owed allegiance to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, were pursuing the Rasool’s case.

Pathania, who was among the three short-listed candidates for the post, was a contender but no faction supported him. To accommodate the warring factions, Lone was appointed the PYC chief while Rasool was made the national general secretary of the IYC. Pathania was made the senior vice-president with independent charge of the Jammu province. Another Youth Congress leader from the state Shahnawaz Khan was appointed the IYC national secretary and UP in charge.

Jammu, August 7
An emergency meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Sewa Bharati was organised here today where social workers of many organisations were present.

The meeting was called to chalk out a strategy to provide an immediate relief to the victims of the natural disaster in Leh. The members paid homage to those who died in the disaster and formed a trust under the name ‘Ladhak Aapdha Sahayata Samiti’ to assist victims.

Brig Suchet Singh (Retd) was unanimously elected presidents of the trust, Dr Kuldeep Gupta as secretary and Abay Pargal as the trust treasurer. After the meeting, Brig Singh appealed to people to donate for the Leh disaster.

Later interacting with mediapersons, he said another organisation ‘Ladhak Kalyan Sang’ had started the relief and rehabilitation work soon after the disaster and had already started giving ration and medicines to the affected people. Meanwhile, both Jammu and Kashmir Sahayata Samiti and Jai Kargil Jai Bharat Kosh donated Rs 1 lakh each to the trust. 

Jammu, August 7
Residents of the Ekta Vihar colony, Gangyal, have requested the authorities concerned to shift a wine shop located near the Sai Sahyog marriage hall and the Occasion restaurant on the thoroughfare leading to the colony.

In a meeting held here today, the residents said the presence of the wine shop near the marriage hall and the restaurant, where a large number of people, including women, visit for functions, was causing a nuisance and could lead to a law and order problem in the colony.

They added that college and school-going girls pass through the lane and the location of the shop, with long queues of alcohol buyers, was causing embarrassment and inconvenience to them.

Baldev Singh Wazir, a senior resident of the colony, said they had approached the Excise Commissioner, who had assured them that the NOC of the wine shop would not be extended further, the shop was still there.

The colony residents also expressed concern over the existence of a chips factory in the municipal ward number-56, which included Ekta Vihar. “The factory is causing pollution all over. Even a gurdwara situated there is being facing pollution due to the factory,” they added.

Jammu, August 7
Members of the Food and Allied Workers Union today held protests in different depots against the Director of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department for not implementing the government orders to redress the grievances of the workers of the department.

According to a statement issued here, the workers warned that if the director failed to implement the orders within 15 days, they would resort to an agitation from August 28.

They condemned the anti-worker attitude of the director and raised slogans against him.

The workers alleged that almost eight months had passed and the director had not implemented the orders for reasons best known to him.

Meanwhile, the workers expressed gratitude to Minister for CAPD Qamar Ali Akhoon for passing the orders for the welfare of the workers. 

Jammu, August 7
Around 45 meritorious students from different schools were honoured at a district-level award ceremony organised by the Science Olympiad Foundation, New Delhi, at Diwan Badri Nath Vidyamandir School, Canal Road, here today.

Students were honoured for participating in the 12th National Science Olympiad, Ninth National Cyber Olympiad and the Third International Math Olympiad.

Jammu, August 7
The Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI), Jammu, has demanded that security must be provided to transporters who are trying their best to maintain the supply line in these difficult days.

During a meeting held under the chairmanship of CCI president YV Sharma, members expressed concern over various incidents of harassment of the tanker drivers, who were supplying oil to the Valley areas.

The government should provide security to all vehicles carrying routine goods, the CCI demanded. It reiterated the significance of the interdependence of the three regions of the state and appealed to people to ensure that the interests of trade, business and industry should not be compromised. Huge losses have already been incurred the impact of which would be felt in future.

The members expressed concern over the loss of lives and property due to the cloudburst and the resultant flash floods in Leh. According to a handout issued here today, the members expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed to the government to speed up the rescue operations. 

Jammu, August 7
A local woman suffering from ovary cysts today alleged that she was wrongly operated upon at a private clinic, Medi-Aids, Channi Himmat, in April last year and it caused her mental and financial trauma. Addressing a media conference here today, Nazira, a resident of Sunjwan, said she was admitted to the clinic on April 23 and discharged on April 27 last year.

“Doctors at Medi-Aids diagnosed me of ovary cyst. But they operated me on the wrong side due to which I could not recover,” she said. She added that she was then taken to the CMC, Ludhiana, on July 14 and discharged on July 7 this year after she recovered.

However, the hospital administration refuted the allegation saying the patient was operated rightly and the cyst could have developed later on.

“We had operated her on both sides and removed the cyst. The ovary again developed the cyst,” said Dr Sadhna Sharma, who operated upon the woman. She added: “We did not remove the ovaries as the patient was young.”

The patient said she underwent a major surgery at the CMC, Ludhiana, while she had spent Rs 2.5 lakh at Medi-Aids. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir State Samaj Sudhar Committee has appealed to the Health Minister to take cognisance of the matter.