Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), NDRF and other agencies have so far rescued 1.10 lakh people from the flood-ravaged parts of Jammu and Kashmir as the relief operations launched by the armed forces entered the 10th day today.
“Over 1,10,000 persons have been rescued by the armed forces and NDRF from different parts of J&K in the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the state till today,” Defence PRO Col (MoD) Col S D Goswami told the Excelsior..
He said a third batch of Naval Marine Commandos with compressors, diving sets, satellite phones and other items arrived at Srinagar to support the rescue operations launched under the name of ‘Mission Sahayata’.
PRO Defence Jammu Col Manish Mehta said 84 transport aircrafts and helicopters of the Indian Air Force and Army Aviation Corps have been pressed into service.
So far 1,081 sorties have been undertaken by the helicopters and aircraft of the armed forces, he said, adding that 1,411 tonnes of relief materials have been dropped by the Indian Air Force.
Official sources said the armed forces personnel are distributing water bottles and food packets on a large scale.
So far 2,24,000 liters of water, 31,500 food packets and over 375 tons cooked food have been air-dropped and distributed in the flood-affected areas.
As many as 8,200 blankets and 650 tents have been provided to the flood victims. 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services are already operating, sources said.
Four field hospitals have been established in Avantipur, Pattan, Anantnag and Old Airfield where medical aid is being provided to the ailing people, he said, adding that till now, they have treated more than 21,500 patients.
More relief materials, including blankets, tents, water bottles and food packets are being airlifted from Hyderabad, Baroda and Delhi, he said.
To restore road connectivity, five task forces of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), including 5,700 personnel, have been pressed into service.
As of now, they have restored the road connectivity from Batote to Kishtwar and Kishtwar to Sinthan Pass.
Jammu-Poonch Road has been cleared for traffic. On the Jammu-Srinagar Highway, BRO personnel are trying hard to clear the road blocked by fresh landslide, sources said.
Keeping in view the urgent requirement of boats for the rescue operations, the Army has deployed 90 more boats in Srinagar and adjoining areas.
A total of 224 boats of the Army and 148 inflatable boats of NDRF are involved in the rescue operations.
In Srinagar region, camps have been established at BB Cantt, Avantipur, Old Airfield, Sumbal, Chattargam and Jijamata Mandir, where thousands of rescued people are being sheltered.
They are also being provided with food and other basic amenities.
Sources said 13 tons of water purifying tablets and six water filtration plants with a capacity to filter 1.2 lakh bottles per day has been transported to Srinagar today.
Engineering stores, including suction and submersible pumps from Vishakhapatnam and Jodhpur, are also being sent to flood-affected areas.
Communication equipment of the Department of Telecommunication, Army, BSNL and some private companies are also being sent to restore the communication systems in the State.
Navy’s elite Marine Commandos will establish a waterway in the city to enable faster movement of people stuck in low-lying areas to higher grounds, sources said.
The Navy has been given the task to establish a waterway in Srinagar to enable faster transportation of stranded people in the city which is now turned into a big pond, sources said.
At present, this task of relocating people is happening mostly through the helicopters but once the waterways are created, this will lead to faster movement, they said.
The waterway would be created across the Jhelum river and will also help in evacuating tourists stranded in the city to airport and the locals stuck in low-lying areas.
The Navy has deployed three teams of its elite MARCOS, who are in the Valley to protect and guard against counter-terrorism activities in the Wullar lake.
The MARCOS using their Gemini boats equipped with high-tech gadgets would establish waterways over which the boats used by the NDRF and other agencies can travel without the risk of hitting any underwater wire, house or cloth-lines as this can cause damage to them, sources said.
The MARCOS have already saved 1,500 people who were stuck in the floods. They have been equipped with diving sets and satellite phones to carry out their operations, sources said.
Armed forces have set up 19 relief camps in Jammu and Kashmir, housing at least 20,000 flood-affected people, and provisions have been made to distribute essential food items and water bottles to them.
“Armed Forces have established 19 relief camps in Srinagar and Jammu region,” Army officials said.
Camps have been set up at BB Cantt, Avantipur, Old Airfield, Sumbal, Chattargam, and Zeishta Mata Mandir in Srinagar region, where 20,000-25,000 rescued people were being sheltered and provided with food and other basic amenities, they said, adding, personnel are distributing water bottles and food packets on a large scale in the flood affected areas.
So far, 2,24,000 liters of water, 2.6 tonnes of biscuits, 7 tonne baby food, and 31,500 food packets had already been air-dropped in the flood-affected areas, sources said.
As many as 8,200 blankets and 650 tents were provided to the flood victims, they said.
In an endeavour to provide speedy medical aid to the affected populace, 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services were already operating in full swing, they said.
Till now they were able to treat more than 21,500 patients.
Relief materials including blankets, tents, water bottles and food packets are being airlifted from Hyderabad, Baroda, Golden Temple (Amritsar), Ambala and Delhi, they said.
As many as 1,237 tonnes of relief materials were dropped by the Indian Air Force, they said.
Keeping in view of their urgent requirement in the rescue operation, Army has deployed 90 more boats in Srinagar and adjacent areas, they said.
As many as 96,000 people have been rescued from flood areas of the state under operation ‘Sahayata and Rahat’ launched by Armed Forces in Kashmir and Jammu regions for past 10 days. Over 5 to 6 lakh people are affected by the floods in the state as four lakh still continue to be trapped in it.
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