*Centre deputes inter-Ministerial team to restore services
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 8: For the first time, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of Indian Navy were pressed into service to rescue the people from submerged houses in floods ravaged Kashmir Valley including Srinagar City and they have so far rescued over 200 people while more Navy divers have been kept standby at New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhap-atnam for airlifting if required.
With weather behaving, Army, Indian Air Force and Navy stepped up rescue operations in the Kashmir Valley and relief and rehabilitation operations in Jammu region, mostly twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, evacuating 23,500 people with the help of 204 columns of Army and providing 155 tonnes of relief to the flood and rains victims so far, creating a history of sorts in the State.
However, there was still bad news on the front of restoration of connectivity with Northern Army Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda stating at a press conference in Command Headquarters at Udhampur that it could take at least four to five days for restoration of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only supply line to the Valley as road stretch at 172 kilometers (near Ramsu) has been damaged very badly. The Army Commander declared that the Army would continue its rescue mission till the last person is evacuated from the cut off areas.
Lt Gen Hooda, who has been personally monitoring the entire relief operation for flood affected victims, admitted that fence along the Line of Control (LoC) has been damaged in Akhnoor sector but ruled out any threat of infiltration saying the troops were maintaining strict vigil in the area. The team would co-ordinate its activities with civil administration and other agencies working for restoration of communication, electricity supply and water supply schemes to bring the life back on rails as early as possible
The Government of India has also deputed an inter-Ministerial team of officers to Jammu and Kashmir to help in restoration of power, water and communication lines at the earliest.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Marine Commandos of the Navy today joined massive rescue operations being carried out by the Army, Air Force and NDRF in flooded parts of Kashmir Valley, where they were airlifted from New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhap-atnam this morning to help save the people from gushing water in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.
The MARCOS have so far rescued over 200 stranded people from Srinagar-Sopore Highway and were continuing their operation even in.
The MARCOS carried out their first operation in flood hit Haigaon on Srinagar-Sopore highway and rescued the people submerged in 20 feet flood waters, Lt Gen Hooda said, adding that MARCOS would continue their operations to rescue people from worst hit areas.
Sources said more Naval Commandos have been kept standby in New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam and would be airlifted if required for rescue mission.
Lt Gen Hooda told the reporters that rescue efforts were going on at Pantha Chowk in Srinagar by the MARCOS. He said apart from additional Navy Commandos, a medical team is also standby at New Delhi for immediate deployment.
He said Army, IAF and Navy have been pressed into service with triple mission-to rescue the stranded and marooned civilians, provide them relief and rehabilitation and airlift food packets in flood his areas in both parts of the State.
The Northern Army Commander said the floods and rains have caused extensive damage to Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at 172 kilometers point i.e. Ramsu and it could take at least four to five days to restore it for traffic. The damage caused by the floods to the Highway near Ramsu is extensive and even if weather behaves fully, it could take four to five days for its restoration. He added that landslides from 14 major portions on the Highway have been cleared so far.
The National Highway is blocked for last five days.
The Northern Command chief said massive efforts were on to clear Zojila Axis on Srinagar-Leh National Highway so that as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday the Leh highway is restored at the earliest so that winter stocking for six months is completed there well in time.
Defence spokesman (MoD) Col SD Goswami said Army has so far evacuated 23,530 stranded persons in different areas of Jammu and Kashmir by deploying its 215 columns on relief and rescue mission. “We have distributed 5000 blankets, 140 tents, 23,000 litres of water and 600 kilograms of biscuits in flood affected areas apart from tons and tons of food packets through helicopters,” he said, adding that additional water bottles are being airlifted from Chandigarh and Delhi. Eighty medical teams have been pressed into service to provide speedy medical aid to the people.
Admitting that it was still not possible to predict accurate damage in South Kashmir as road connectivity was yet to be restored, Lt Gen Hooda said, there was no major problem in Baramulla and Kupwara but it would take time to completely provide relief to the trapped people.
Lt Gen Hooda said Army has intensified its rescue operation with focus on Srinagar city and South Kashmir where a large number of people remained trapped in their houses without any basic amenities.
Noting that the troops were facing several challenges in the operation ‘Megh Rahat’, he said they were trying to reach the people who were in the most precarious conditions as quickly as possible though they have received thousands of messages seeking help.
Lt Gen Hooda said that situation in Jammu was limping back to normalcy and roads leading to other areas around Jammu would be restored within next 48 hours.
“As I said for the next 48 hours, our focus remains on Srinagar and South Kashmir because there are still large number of people who are stranded and who are without any food and water. It’s our idea to get them out as soon as possible. We will continue operation Megh Rahat till everyone is pulled out of this situation,” he declared.
He also said that Army has taken up repair of border fencing damaged in the worst floods in six decades as it apprehends that militants might take advantage of the situation to infiltrate into the state.
“They (militants) may come. So we have strengthened Army’s presence in these areas. The repair work has immediately begun. We will do it very quickly,” he added.
Lt Gen Hooda assured the people that rescue operations will pick up as additional engineering teams and boats have arrived.
Asked about delay in relief and rescue operations in South Kashmir, he said they were affected by the inclement weather as the Valley was lashed by torrential rains for nearly five days.
“Nobody thought it would rain incessantly for so long and the gushing water cut-off Army’s boats in Srinagar and Banihal,” he added.
The weather was so bad that no sortie could be taken till September 5, he said.
The Commander said that Army itself was badly affected as some of its posts in Akhnoor and Munawar in Jammu region had been badly damaged. “There is also 14 feet water in Badami Bagh cantonment and large number of ordnance equipment, supply depot is under water. But despite that our rescue efforts continue unabated.”
“In the Kashmir valley, the situation still remains critical particularly in the areas around Srinagar and areas in South Kashmir where there is fairly high level of flooding in these areas,” Lt Gen Hooda said.
He said the Kashmir Valley was cut off from Jammu as well as from Leh. “We are hopeful of restoring traffic from Zozila pass on Srinagar-Leh highway so that some supplies are moved from there,” he said.
“We saw that houses near Jhelum have water up to second floor and people have collected at the third storey. We are helping them. It is difficult for water to drain out very quickly as Jhelum is the only outlet in the Valley.
“There are villages which have been marooned in different areas. Reaching them is not an easy job, it’s a difficult work,” the Northern Army Commander said.
Even though sorties for relief material are flying out tourists and others trapped in the Valley, it is difficult for people stranded in different places to reach airport because roads are under water, he said.
The Army and IAF have, meanwhile, extended rescue and relief operation to South Kashmir
Helicopters have airlifted four boats and a medical team to Anantnag district in South Kashmir, Army sources said.
The weather being clear, a number of helicopters have been pressed into action to transport rescue and relief material to isolated areas of South Kashmir, they added.
Relief camps have also been set up at Awantipur and Anantnag to help the flood-Hit people, the sources said.
To restore the communication system in the Valley, Army has also airlifted its communication equipment. BSNL loads are also being airlifted from Bangalore and Jammu.
“So far 23,530 stranded people have been evacuated by the Army in different regions of J&K. Army has deployed 215 columns of its personnel for rescue and relief operations. They have distributed 5,000 blankets and 140 tents. The Army also distributed 23,000 litres of water and 600 kilograms of biscuit in the flood-affected areas. Additional water bottles are being airlifted from Chandigarh and Delhi. In an endeavor to provide speedy medical aid to the affected
Populace while, 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services have also swung into action,” sources said.
Army spokesman Col Manish Mehta said that 85 metric tonnes of medicines were airlifted for the flood victims. Sixteen relief camps have been set up in different parts of the State. 1245 people have been airlifted by the Indian Air Force helicopters and transport aircraft. So far 140 sorties were undertaken by the helicopters and aircraft of Indian Air Force and 155 tonnes of relief materials are dropped by the Indian Air Force. Altogether 52 aircraft and helicopters have been pressed into action. 57 Army boats and 118 NDRF’s inflatable boats are actively involved in the rescue operation. 30 more inflatable boats are being airlifted from Arakonam, Tamil Nadu.
Eight engineering task force teams along with boats and other lifesaving equipment have already reached the flood affected areas to supplement the rescue operation, sources said.
Sources said transport aircrafts have been supporting rescue operations operating from Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jammu, Awantipur and Delhi. Helicopters are operating from Srinagar, Awantipur, Udhampur, Jammu, Pathankot and Sarsawa.
With thousands of people trapped on the second floor, third floor or on the roof tops, Army plans to continue the rescue operations even at night, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation intensified its operation to clear the 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway which remained closed for the fifth consecutive day today due to landslides and sinking of road at various places.
It is for the fifth consecutive day that the highway is closed for the vehicular traffic, sources said, adding, traffic on the highway was suspended due to landslides, washing of road patches, and flooding at various places on September 4.
Over 3,000 passenger and commercial vehicles were stranded on the highway at various place in Banihal, Ramban, Batote, Kud, Patnitop, Chenani, Udhampur and Jammu due to closure of the road, they said.
The BRO pressed in service its men and machines as the weather started to become clear and launched a massive clearance and repair operation to reopen the highway for traffic, police added.
The authorities were focusing more on reopening of the highway so that more rescue material could reach Kashmir by road.
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