Jammu, September 17
As the water level is gradually receding in all flood hit areas, life has started limping back to normal in the Kashmir valley.

Traffic to the Valley has been restored through Mughal Road, Srinagar-Jammu and Kishtwar-Sinthan national highways, facilitating resumption of supplies on a massive scale.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had been closely monitoring the situation and holding review meetings on a daily basis with senior officials.

He had been stressing on providing immediate succour to flood affected people by way of safe drinking water, ration, blankets, tents and medicines.

Chairing a meeting of officials in Srinagar, Omar was told that water in many Srinagar localities was being drained into natural channels through high volume suction pumps and cuts.

This was followed by a massive clean up drive. Scores of carcasses had been properly disposed of and the drive was going on on a war footing.

The Chief Minister was told that Ranjil, Nishat and Alistag water supply schemes were functioning normally and supplying potable water to people.

Efforts were on to restore Mehjoor Nagar and Padhshahi Bagh water supply schemes. He was told that despite damage, Doodganga and Pokhribal water supply schemes would be made operational shortly.

The Chief Minister was told that 99 truckloads of relief material had been dispatched from Srinagar airport Tuesday and 50 trucks of ration taken to Srinagar by CAPD Department.

The Chief Minister was also told that 69 truckloads of ration had been sent to Baramulla, Budgam and Pulwama districts Tuesday.

Omar directed the Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir to utilise Rs 200 crore each released to them for carrying out immediate temporary restoration work and meeting other relief needs.

The Jammu and Kashmir Bank chairman said efforts were on to activate as many bank branches in Srinagar as possible. He said cash had been brought for ATMs, which were being made functional.

The Chief Minister was told that 70 per cent power supply had been restored in Srinagar and would be restored in other areas as soon as water receded.

Srinagar, September 17
Governor NN Vohra received a detailed briefing Tuesday morning from Anil Goswami, Union Home Secretary, who had been assisting and supporting the state government’s work to fight flood fury.

Earlier, the Governor had been briefed by General Officer Commanding of the 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, about the steps being taken by the Army and the Air Force in coordination with government agencies.

Following the briefing, the Governor had undertaken an aerial reconnaissance of affected areas.

The Governor held a number of discussions with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Minister for Public Health Engineering and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma.

During his visit to Srinagar a few days ago, Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag met the Governor to discuss the flood situation.

He was accompanied by Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda and Lt Gen Subrata Saha.

The Governor is receiving daily reports about the relief measures currently underway. — TNS

Jammu, September 17
The Election Department is seeking feedback from all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) regarding situation in their respective districts to take a decision on convening a review meeting for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The review meeting, which was scheduled to be held on September 10 and 11, had been postponed following the devastating floods. Sources said the Election Department was taking feedback from DCs of the Jammu region.

The situation was back to normal in the Jammu region as water in most rivers and seasonal rivulets had receded to a large extent. The sources said the Election Department would fix dates for convening the review meeting after taking feedback from DCs concerned.

Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath and other members of the Election Commission were likely to attend the review meeting. The local authorities were trying to get authentic feedback from DCs before finalising the dates.

Announcing the schedule for Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections on September 12, the Chief Election Commissioner said the commission was closely watching the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said a decision would be taken after things took shape. He mentioned that there was still some time for the Assembly terms to end in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand.

The term of the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly would end on January 5 next year and of the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on January 19. The previous Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2008.

The sources said DCs of some flood-affected districts had not shown much enthusiasm in conducting elections at this juncture.

“Some DCs told the Election Department that it would not be possible for them to spare staff engaged in relief and rehabilitation activities for at least a month keeping in view the destruction caused by the devastating floods,” the sources said.

They disclosed that DCs told the Election Department that rehabilitation of affected families was their priority after the state suffered nature’s fury.

The sources said DCs of some districts told the Election Department that the devastating floods had rendered hundreds of people homeless and the civil administration was more particular about properly rehabilitating these families before winter commenced.

Jammu, September 17
Telecommunication companies of the state have emerged as real heroes by playing a vital role in tracing and rescuing people trapped in floods in the state.

Rajouri, September 17
To minimise the threat of water-borne diseases due to the floods, the Block Medical Officer (BMO) of Darhal, under the direction of the Director, Health Services, and Dr Rajeev Sharma, Chief Medical Officer, have been conducting awareness camps at various places.

The camps are being conducted with the help of community members, school teachers and local leaders.

The Darhal BMO along with the team members have so far delivered lectures on health hygiene at Sarola, Rajhdhani, Azamtabad and Saaj villages.

The tell the people to wash hands before eating, drink boiled water, avoid defecating in the open and keep surroundings clean.

The team also distributes chlorine tablets and ORS packets at the camp. — OC

Srinagar, September 17
The Army killed two unidentified militants in frontier Kupwara district today morning when they were trying to sneak into the Valley from across the Line of Control (LoC).

The Army said two militants were killed in a five-hour-long encounter in the Machil sector, 155 km from Srinagar, after their movement was noticed near Dana village.

“The troops noticed the movement of two militants around 1 am near the LoC and the group was challenged. They opened fire, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter,” a defence source said.

“In the gunfight, which ended around 6 am, two unidentified militants were killed. The troops also recovered two AK rifles and war-like stores from the slain militants,” the source said.

This is the second encounter in Kupwara district along the LoC since the floods hit Kashmir.

On Wednesday last, when troops were engaged in a rescue operation in flood-ravaged Srinagar, three militants were killed in the Keran sector of Kupwara when they were trying to infiltrate into the Valley.

The militants, the defence source said, were desperate to sneak into the Valley as a large portion of the fence along the LoC has got damaged due to the recent flash floods that had triggered landslides in the upper reaches of Kashmir.

The troops are, however, on a high alert to avoid any such attempt.

In the past one month, 12 militants have been killed in Kupwara district in various encounters.

Jammu, September 17
The worst floods in the last six decades in the state have not only forced the local volunteers to lend a helping hand to the people in need, but have also encouraged groups from across the globe to come to the aid of flood-affected.

One such group is the United Kingdom-based Khalsa Aid. The volunteers of this NGO have flown all the way from England to serve the people in flood-affected parts of J&K.

The group in association with the J&K Sikh Professionals, a Jammu-based NGO, rescued around 300 people in Srinagar and is now busy distributing relief material among the needy.

“Our volunteers, with the help of Srinagar-based NGO Rainbow, rescued several people from the inundated areas. At this point of time we are busy distributing relief material among the flood-affected. We are trying to reach the most affected parts of the city, Jawahar Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Batmaloo, Aloochi Bagh, Karan Nagar, Amira Kadal and other such areas,” said J&K Sikh Professionals president Ranjit Singh, who is coordinating the rescue and relief operation from Jammu.

Both the Khalsa Aid and the J&K Sikh Professionals have set up a joint control room at a gurdwara in the Trikuta Nagar area of Jammu.

The group is carrying relief material to a gurdwara in the Barzulla area of Srinagar where from it is being distributed among the victims.

“We are distributing medicine, food, clothes, baby food, dry milk, baby napkins, feeding bottles, mobile chargers, multiple charging switches and much more among the victims. We are also going to survey the areas where people want to go back to their homes and need essential items to start afresh,” Ranjit said.

He said the group reached out to the victims irrespective of religion. “We didn’t face any problem from the local population and everybody received our aid and relief. There was no backlash from any group or individual in Srinagar city while our volunteers were distributing the aid material,” said the J&K Sikh Professionals president.

Both the Khalsa Aid and the J&K Sikh Professionals also distributed relief material in flood-affected areas of the Jammu region.

“We reached out to the families of those killed in the Nowshera bus mishap. Four of the families don’t have any source of income and they have been adopted by our NGO. Two families are being given a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 while the remaining are being given Rs 3,000 per month,” Ranjit said. The group also distributed relief material among flood-affected families of Flai Mandal near Jammu.

Srinagar, September 17
Haj flights will resume from September 20 even though recent floods have disrupted the annual pilgrimage for residents of the state.

Addressing a meeting to review the situation arising from the floods, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said all documents of Haj pilgrims were safe and they needed to reach the airport directly on the revised flight dates announced by the State Hajj Committee.

He directed the administration to ensure smooth flights for intending Haj pilgrims. While the Haj House in Bemina was still inundated, pilgrims had been told to reach the Srinagar airport directly for immigration and other formalities.

Pilgrims had been directed to collect documents two days in advance from the camp office of the State Haj Committee at Hotel Kremzon in Parraypora.

Pilgrims used to converge on the Haj House before starting the journey to Saudi Arabia. The first flight of pilgrims from J&K left for the annual pilgrimage on August 27.

This year, each male Haji had been provided a special jacket and female Haji a scarf bearing a logo of the State Hajj Committee for identification. — TNS

Srinagar, September 17
When the Civil Secretariat housing the office of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his cabinet colleagues reopens tomorrow, it would be for the first time after floods devastated Srinagar that all government officials will assemble under one roof.

In fact, the aim behind opening of the Civil Secretariat even as it is still inundated is to send a signal to the people that the administration is back in action.

“The opening of the government offices in Srinagar will send a positive signal to the people and reassure the residents of the state, especially flood-hit Srinagar, that the government is there to help them during the need of hour,” said a senior official in the J&K Government.

To dewater the area around the Civil Secretariat and Lal Chowk, the commercial nerve centre of Srinagar, the government pressed several fire services engines into action today.

The area around the secretariat, which also houses several other important government installations such as J&K High Court and the Police Control Room, was severely affected due to the floods on September 7 when the Jhelum breached its embankment in Srinagar at various points. The water level in the area had risen to unprecedented 12 feet and had submerged two floors of the secretariat complex.

Even though the government is ready to reopen the secretariat, it is to be seen how many employees actually turn up for their duties tomorrow, as a majority of them have either gone to their homes in Jammu or are trapped in various localities of the Valley, which were cut off by the floods.

Besides, many Srinagar localities such as Rajbagh, Shivapora, Indra Nagar and Jawhar Nagar that housed secretariat employees from Jammu and other far-off regions of the state are still inundated and are accessible only through boats. 

To avoid massive damages during such natural calamities awareness should be spread among people  for raising future constructions on  safe areas. Ghulam Nabi Azad, congress leader

Panchari (Udhampur) Sept 17
Former Union Minister and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad along with Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand visited the Panchari area of Udhampur and took stock of the relief and rescue operations.

Around 40 people were buried under a landslide in the Panjar panchayat area of Panchari on September 6 following incessant rain and flash floods.

The security personnel have so far recovered 13 bodies from the debris, while attempts are on to trace the remaining 27.

Azad advised people to avoid rebuilding their houses near river banks and slopes. While passing directions to the state administration, the Congress leader said: “To avoid massive damages during such natural calamities awareness should be spread among people for raising future constructions on safe areas.”

He urged people to follow proper guidelines to make any construction.

Azad also proposed identifying land at safer places, away from river and flood channels, to help the affected families rebuild their homes so that in near future they are not rendered homeless because of floods.

The senior leader visited the Panjar village to have a first-hand assessment of the magnitude of damage.

Reviewing the relief measures, Azad directed the administration to show promptness in distributing relief to the affected.

He also told the Deputy Commissioner to prepare the list of people who suffred damage to crops, livestock and property. The former Chief Minister also directed the authorities to identify government buildings where flood victims can be rehabilitated in the short term.

Azad and Tara Chand also visited the affected areas of Reasi and assed the situation there. The duo also conducted an aerial survey along the Chenab. The team drove to the flood-affected areas of Dera Baba, Seari Tanda, Karwa and the adjoining areas of Kanjali along the banks of the Chenab.

Jammu, September 17
The United States’ Library of Congress will soon have an entire set of documents related to the history of displaced Kashmiri Hindus, including the period from 1990 when the community was forced to leave the Valley due to insurgency.

The Kashmir Overseas Association (KOA), a body of Non-resident Indians comprising mostly of Kashmiri Pandits living in the United States and the European Union countries, which was long working to preserve and document their rich heritage and sufferings was assured by Congressman Mike Honda that he would make every effort to document their records in the library.

It will include documents, books, audio visual information pertaining to history, culture and heritage of Kashmiri Pandits.

“This assurance has been given to us by a Congressman, who has always remained a supporter of the displaced Hindu community. We will start the work soon so that important documents are submitted to the library,” said KOA president Dr Surinder Kaul.

Considered one of the biggest libraries in the world, the Library of Congress has 32 million catalogued books and other print materials in 470 languages. It has also more than 61 million manuscripts and millions of audio-video clips.

Kaul said the Association recently organised a community event at the Bass Lake, California, in which more than 300 members from all over the USA had participated and in one of the events Honda, was the chief guest. During the event Honda was also felicitated by the Association for his support to the organisation.

Kaul said Honda has promised that he will closely work with the organisation and make sure that all the documentation of Pandit history become part of the Congress Library. 

Jammu, September 17
An educational-cum-motivational tour comprising 23 students and two teachers from remote areas of the Akhnoor sub-division was flagged in by the Army today. The group had gone to Dehradun.

The educational tour was aimed at providing exposure to the children and make them aware about the developments taking place in the rest of the country, said a Defence spokesperson.

During the tour, the students got an opportunity to visit Dehradun and surrounding areas of Mussorie and Haridwar.

They visited Raj Bhawan; Indian Military Academy; Forest Research Institute, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun; Survey of India and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie, the spokesperson said. — TNS

Doda, September 17
At least 30 Gujjar and Bakarwal families living in hillsides have been passing sleepless nights owing to high risk of landslip and shooting stones in the mountainous Doda district.

“We huddle together at one place in the night. You never know when a landslide will strike. We have no option but to remain awake the entire night,” said Noordin Kalu of Kahra.

Kishtwar district president of the National Conference Scheduled Tribe cell, Kalu added that all those whose houses are at risk of landslide were poor and were from the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities.

A dozen people led by Kalu Wednesday met Doda DC SV Meena for seeking help from the district administration to relocate people from the area.

Kalu said, “It is very risky to live here along with minor children and livestock when the threat is just above our heads.”

“We are demanding temporary rehabilitation until the administration clears stones and landslide debris through blasting or some other means to keep the area safe for living,” he added.

“We have demanded immediate measures to rehabilitate those living in vulnerable areas,” he added.

Pampore, September 17
In Kashmir’s saffron town Pampore, people are surprised by the kind of floods they witnessed on September 7, which inundated almost 70 per cent of their area.

The floodwater levels were unprecedented, with eyewitnesses saying that many places were submerged under 15 to 20 feet of water.

Pampore town, 15 km from Srinagar city, is in Pulwama district. The Jhelum, which wreaked havoc in Srinagar on September 7, passes through this south Kashmir town as well. Almost 70 per cent of the houses were affected by the floodwaters in this saffron town, with a population of 81,560 and 12,350 households.

“From our house, normally the level of the Jhelum is below 20 feet. However, on the intervening night of September 6 and 7, the water level of the river rose considerably and inundated our house,” said Mohammad Tahir, a resident of Kadlabal Locality in Pampore.

According to the local Auqaf and Mohalla Committee, nearly 50 houses have been destroyed in the floods. The Srinagar-Jammu national highway stretch that runs parallel to the town is still inundated and many low-lying localities in the saffron town are still under 3 to 4 feet of water.

The shops, lined along the highway, have been destroyed. Besides, a majority of the government installations, including the local power receiving station, Munsif court and government and private schools continue to remain inundated.

Despite the town being badly affected by floods, no relief and rescue was carried out by the government or its agencies on September 7.

“Only two localities, Kadlabal and Namblabal, were not submerged. The rest of the town was inundated for almost two days but no rescue or relief team visited us,” said a local resident, Muzaffar Ahmad.

Locals said the local administration on September 9 decided to provide 25 kg of rice per family.

Besides, relief material is now being brought into the town from Shopian. Vegetables, atta, milk, biscuits and other items are being distributed to the needy through mohalla- level committees set up by the residents of the town. 

Jammu, September 17
Acting on the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help the flood-affected people of Jammu and Kashmir, BJP leader Aditi Sharma, in collaboration with the J&K Vishwakarma Prachar Manch and Ayurvedic Hospital, today organised a medical camp at Belicharana.

At the camp, flood-hit people were given health check up and free of cost medicines.

Inaugurating the camp, Aditi Sharma said the flood-affected families had lost their household and daily use items in the floods. “It is time to provide them better medical facilities so that they don’t suffer anymore,” the BJP leader said. — TNS

Katra, September 17
In the wake of natural calamity that led to loss of life and property in the state, it has been unanimously decided to celebrate Navratra festival at Katra in a simple way.

The decision was taken in a meeting of senior officers and members of the Navratra Festival Organising Committee that was held here today. The meeting was chaired by Mandeep K Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, who is also Vice-Chairman of the Navratra Festival Organising Committee.

Speaking to mediapersons, the Director Tourism said the only event that would mark the Navratra festival this year would be “Bhagwat Katha” at Raghunath Mandir, Katra, and prayers would be organised for the well-being of all those who have suffered.

He added that as a tradition, “Kalash Yatra” would be taken out from Kalika Mandir to Raghunath Mandir, Katra, at 2pm on the first Navratra i.e. September 25, followed by the commencement of “Bhagwat Katha”. It will conclude with “Havan” and “Purna Ahuti” on October 2.

Bhagwat Katha, comprising religious discourse, will be arranged daily from 3 pm to 6 pm during the Navratras.

Other arrangements which came under discussion in the meeting included sanitation, fire safety measures and water and power supply. A two-minute silence was observed to pay homage to all those who lost their lives in the recent natural calamity in the state. 

Jammu, September 17
As part of “Operation Megh Rahat”, the Rashtriya Rifles Battalion under the Uniform Force, located at Talwara, organised a medical camp today for the flood-affected people of Pouni tehsil of Reasi district.

The aim of the camp was to provide medical care to people of villages and interior areas, cut off due to the floods and landslides, said a defence spokesperson. Over 400 patients from Lehar, Kheral, Pouni, Nagan and adjoining areas were provided free of cost medical care. A large number of people received medicines at the camp. They were also given medicines for the elderly who could not come to the camp. — TNS

Srinagar, September 17
Escaping from the jaws of death, 16-year-old bubbly Rabia is rapidly recuperating at 92 Base Camp Hospital here.

She was brought to the intensive care unit of the hospital in an unconscious condition. Rabia of Tral area in Pulwama district was evacuated from flood-ravaged Awantipura to 92 Base Camp Hospital in Badami Bagh Cantonment in an Indian Army helicopter on September 10.

The young girl was suffering from starvation, high fever, urine infection and jaundice when she was brought to the hospital.

“She was in a very bad shape when brought to this hospital. We had immediately started the treatment and today this young girl is orally taking food. Initially, she had to be kept on fluids,” said a doctor at the hospital.

The girl, on September 14, was visited by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan where senior Army officers, including GOC, 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha and Commandant of the 92 Base Hospital NS Lamba, briefed the minister about Rabia.

“I told the Health Minister that health facilities in Tral were poor. He said you first recover fully and the health facilities in Tral would be definitely improved,” Rabia told The Tribune with a smile writ large on her face.

“Once the girl is fully cured, she will be discharged from the hospital,” said the doctor.

Rabia’s father Abdul Rashid, a marginal farmer, was all praise for the doctors at the hospital.

“I have no words for the doctors, who saved my child. She was hospitalised in the Tral sub-district hospital before being evacuated here,” said Rashid.

My daughter, a student of Class 10, was suffering from severe fever and pain and she had been vomiting continuously. There was no improvement in her condition at the Tral hospital. She was unconscious when brought to the Army hospital here. The Tral hospital authorities had contacted the Army to save my child, he added. 

“My husband has gone to see if the flood water in our house has receded. I had sent my two daughters to my mother’s place in Maisuma which is also flooded. There is no contact with them as the phones are not working. We lost our property and the fate of my children remains unknown,” said Parveena, a stranded housewife from Mehjoor Nagar.

For Mohammad Anees, who is the treasurer for the relief operation in this marriage hall, the provision of continuous supply of ration was a “challenge”. The multi-prolonged kitchen of the wedding hall, where delicacies are cooked, has now turned into a relief kitchen where simple ‘dal chawal’ is cooked by the local mosque management and residents.

Jammu, September 17
The Board of Cultural Activities of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University organised a talent hunt for the first year batch of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The competition, held under the supervision board president V K Tripathi and vice-president Anil Bhardwaj, was aimed at providing a platform to the students to showcase their talent.

The event comprised of two rounds and out of nearly 100 students that participated in the event, only 26 made it to the second stage.

Ten students —- five boys and five girls —- were declared winners of the second round and these contestants will now compete for the title of ‘Mr & Miss Fresher —- SMVDU-2k14’.

Karan Sapolia, Akash Kaushal, Aman, Swapnil, Sahil Thappa, Divya, Suman, Shalini, Sonal and Nidhi were adjudged the winners of round two. 

Jammu, September 17
The Board of Cultural Activities of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University celebrated the ‘Hindi Divas’ on September 14 and 15.

The board on the occasion organised a “Hindi kavya sandhya” in which about 25 students recited their poems.

The event was officiated by Varun K Tripathi and RK Jha. The participants also deliberated upon the marginalisation of Hindi by the government offices and lack of pride and interest among academic institutions for promotion of the language. — TNS

Jammu, September 17
Insurance major Bajaj Allianz today said it has simplified the claim settlement norms for the flood victims of Jammu and Kashmir.

The company also announced helpline numbers for claim related queries and a special team to handle these cases on priority basis.

The move follows the Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDA) directive to life insurers on taking immediate steps for expeditious settlement of claims.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has more than 65,000 customers in Jammu and Kashmir.

The company has substantially reduced the documentation for claim applications for J&K flood victims.

While the requirement for documents has been already minimised, the general investigation procedure may be waived off if prima facie documents establish the death of insured in the floods.

If a death certificate was not available, the insurer would accept the certified list issued by either state government hospitals or the police or the government authorities or the armed forces involved in the rescue operations.

The other documents required include the know your customer (KYC) form of the nominee/legal heir, ID proof and address proof along with the bank details for enabling the NEFT. Photograph of the deceased/missing life assured.

The organisation has also set up special helpline numbers at their Jammu office —- 0191-2477 535/538/196. People can also contact Raman Kumar, State HR, at 09596621234, 0191-247 5164. They can also reach out to Rebecca Nunes 020-66089926 and Saroj Das 020-66439007.

Zonal Operations Manager, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, Dinesh Singh said: “We have eased the documentation process to ensure a hassle-free claim settlement for the victims.