SRINAGAR, Sept 9:
About four lakh people were still stranded and desperate for help today in flood-ravaged Kashmir Valley where heavy rains have eased to help scale up the massive multi-agency rescue and relief efforts.
Authorities were also trying to fix the telecommunication links snapped since Sunday afternoon on a war footing and hope to restore it in a phased manner.
“The big problem that is hampering rescue activities in the Valley is that telecom links have become dysfunctional… The Department of Telecommunications(DoT) is trying its best to restore the links quickly,” an official said.
Officials said shortage of boats was also affecting rescue operations.
Officials said that an estimated four lakh people were believed to be still stranded in the aftermath of the floods.
GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha said the weather condition is improving and the water level has receded in Srinagar and other towns in South Kashmir.
“The weather has cleared and the intensity of the helicopter operations has picked up. In Srinagar, the water level has receded by 1.5 to 3 feet at some places but we are noticing an increase in water level on the northern side,” he said.
The water level in Dal lake was also steadily rising.
TV footage showed overflowing flood waters from Dal lake having entered the ground around Hazratbal shrine complex.
“We need boats. How can we pull the elderly and children to safety from the marooned areas?,” an anguished flood survivor said.
“We are facing a shortage of boats for rescuing people from inundated areas,” a State Government official said.
BSNL has launched an operation on a war-footing with Army and IAF to restore mobile services through satellite network and the telecom network is expected to be partially restored today, officials said.
Army has set up camps where people who have had been just evacuated are kept for 12 to 24 hours before being transferred to relief camps set up by the State Government.
Lt Gen. Saha said, “Water level is not significant in Baramulla as it is at just 3ft… We are taking precautionary measures in conjunction with State Police and others.”
Meanwhile, thanks to distress calls received on social media applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook, the Army has been able to save a nine-month pregnant woman stranded on the third floor of a building in a locality in Srinagar marooned in 12-13 ft water.
“We received a message yesterday on our Facebook page from one woman Moriam Neesa who requested us to save her nine-month pregnant sister who was stuck in a house Farooq Colony in Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar,” Army’s Additional Director General (Public Information) Maj Gen Shuakeen Chauhan said.
“After that, we passed on the message to the local formations in Srinagar directing them to help the lady who was stranded along with 20 people, including two babies,” he said.
“We also assured the lady that the particular locality was heavily flooded but our teams will still go there to carry out the rescue effort,” Chauhan said.
Today morning, the Army received a ‘thank you’ message from the woman who had informed us about the pregnant lady, he said.
The Army headquarters is forwarding all the distress messages received by it on its website, facebook page and twitter handle to a WhatsApp group including senior commanders in the Northern Command from where troops on ground are being directed to help the people in stress.
The WhatsApp group includes senior commanders of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps and Nagrota-based 16 Corps along with the units in field areas, Army officials said.
After the water level increased in river Jehlum and Hakursar nallah, thousands of people in Sumbal Sunawari and Batmaloo Assembly segments have left their villages and taken refuge in the relief camps established by the social organizations and army in various villages of Ganderbal district.
As per reports, the river Jehlum has over flown its bund in Shalteng and it inundated the Mujgund, Shalteng and other adjoining villages in Batamaloo Assembly Segment and Wangipora, Malur Gansthan, Shadipora, Dangerpora, Turgan Ikhwanpur, Sumbal and Sonawari in Sumbal Assembly Segment of Bandipora District in North Kashmir.
Thousands of people in these marooned villages where water level has risen above six feet have taken refuge either in Army camps or camps established by social organizations in Ganderbal district.
Reports said that thousands of people from the Sumbal Sonawari and Batmaloo Constituency have also taken refuge in the houses of people in Ganderbal district.
Reports said that 1500 flood victims have been accommodated in relief camp at Guzhama Ganderbal, 500 in Butwani, 400 in Vaskura, 600 Zuzwan, 1000 at Vakura, 500 in Ahan, 500 in Kurhama and 3000 Dhab.
Bashir Ahmed Ghanai of Mujgund who is camping with 200 people of his village at Butwani relief camp said that their houses are in water up to one storey. He said some people were rescued by army and taken to their relief camps while some were rescued by the social organizations from Ganderbal.
He said people have totally become shelterless and they have lost all their belongings. He said administration has failed to come to their rescue.
Din Mohammed, another flood victim from same village putting up at Butwani relief camp said that situation is grim as people lost every thing in floods.
“Our standing crops which were to be harvested soon have been totally washed away while all belongings perished in flood water’’, he sobbed.
Mir Ghulam Rasool, a social activist said that their organization had taken measures to shift people from flood hit Sonawari to relief camps in Ganderbal. But the rescue operations have been hampered due to shortage of diesel for vehicles.
However the social activists continue their untiring work to rescue the people to safety, he said. He said people are also facing scarcity of ration and other essential commodities and urged the CAPD to supply ration in the relief camps.
He said in Sherpatri block of Ganderbal which is also under flood water people face scarcity of ration. Besides local people, the migrant labourers from Bihar and UP have also taken refuge in these relief camps after their jugis were inundated in flood waters.
Jhangir Ahmed a Masson from Bihar who was working in Sonawari has also taken refuge in a relief camp in Ganderbal district along with 15 laborers.
People in these areas are apprehending that water level may increase further in next two days after it recedes in Srinagar.
The Army today said it has rescued a 28-member Pakistani golf team and the Ambassador of Nepal from the flood-affected areas of Srinagar.
The Pakistani team was there to take part in a SAARC golf tournament while the 17-member Nepalese team was there for official work, Army officials said here.
A US national was among seven foreigners rescued by the Army and Air Force from flood-hit north Kashmir today.
The US national has been rescued and ferried to Srinagar airport, Army officials said, adding that he will be flown to Delhi.
A Korean couple and a retired Army Major General were among 310 people rescued by Chandigarh-based 12 Wing of the Indian Air Force, which has been conducting non-stop sorties during the past three days to evacuate people from flooded areas of Srinagar.
The Korean couple and the retired Army officer S K Dhiman were on an excursion to Srinagar while others had gone to the Valley for various reasons including many of them as migrant labourers.
Among the rescued people that also included 30 women, some needed immediate medical attention for various ailments. They were brought to Chandigarh last evening.
Fateh Mohammed was among 10 patients who were brought here from Srinagar in a critical condition, Group Capt Sameer Bhalla, Station Commander 12 Wing said today.
A large number of those rescued hail from Bihar, U.P. and Delhi. They were evacuated from Srinagar by the Chandigarh based IL-76 squadron of the IAF.
“The 12 Wing has opened a relief camp at Chandigarh (Air Force Station) and the rescued persons are being extended medical facilities and food. With the help from Chandigarh administration, we are also arranging transportation for their onward journey by bus and rail,” he said.
He said both the squadrons of 12 Wing–48 Squadron (AN-32) and 44 Squadron (IL-76) have been conducting non-stop sorties during the past three days to provide assistance in the relief and rescue operations.
Air Force planes from Chandigarh have also flown NDRF,
Army and Air Force personnel to the flood-affected areas in Kashmir, which has witnessed worst floods in decades.
The giant transport aircraft IL-76 has airlifted close to 100 tonne of load.
Meanwhile, a Meteorological Department official here said that the recent heavy rains in Kashmir Valley were caused due to two different weather systems converging to build up as one massive system.
The Western Disturbances and monsoon currents from a Low Pressure Area, which moved from Bay of Bengal towards J&K a few days back, converged as one big weather system causing heavy downpour, the official said.
A fresh Western Disturbance was slowly originating from the Caspian Sea and over the next couple of days, it will become known if the WD will hit Jammu and Kashmir or pass well above.
The official also said that a weather system was currently active over Gujarat, which may cause heavy rains in some parts of the State.
Telecom services in the flood-hit Kashmir valley are slowly being restored with operators resuming network connectivity in various parts of the region.
Around 58 base transceiver stations (BTS) or mobile towers of BSNL and Aircel are functioning now along with 10 landline exchanges of the State-run operator.
Vodafone has also been able to restore connectivity in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Srinagar, Anantnag, Qazigund, Mattan, Avantipura and Ashumuqam.
Vodafone said extra talk-time credit is being provided to ensure low balance doesn’t prevent them from getting connected with their near and dear ones.
Bharti Airtel said it has also restored some of its sites. The telecom operators have roaming arrangements with each other so customers of all are getting connectivity.
Bharti Airtel in a filing to BSE said its network has been down in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir as a result of the unprecedented flooding there, company’s teams have been able to manage to revive several parts of the network there.
The company is constantly monitoring the situation and is working with the authorities to normalise the services in the affected areas at the earliest possible.
The company believe that this temporary disruption will not cause any material loss in revenues or to its assets.
A BSNL official said that it has extended broadband facility to Srinagar airport and also set up three PCOs at the airport where people can make free calls.
The official said that tomorrow the company will try to restore 45-50 more base transceiver stations (BTS).
Taking stock of the situation, BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A N Rai has said that all out efforts are being made on war footing for restoration of BSNL telecom network.
He said no effort is being spared for restoration of BSNL network by bringing satellite-based services (DSPT) by diverting resources from other circles of BSNL.
“10 VSATs have been airlifted to Srinagar from Bangalore yesterday night. In Poonch district, efforts are underway to restore telecom services with the help of V SAT,” Rai said.
Rai added that Barjula BTS and exchange have been restored on OFC and BSNL is trying to restore one BSC at Srinagar which will result in restoration of nearly 20 BTSs.
Destruction of telecom network has impeded rescue operations in the Jammu and Kashmir valley, which is facing one of the worst floods in six decades.
Meanwhile, telecom operator Aircel said in a statement, “Aircel offers free calls to all its postpaid and prepaid J&K customers for the next two days, the September 10 and 11, 2014, in its support towards the natural calamity faced in J&K.”
The statement added that it is working together with the local administration and the Army to restore 2G network in the city and to ensure no outages reoccur on their 3G network which is presently up and running in Srinagar.
Aircel has offered its network to all other mobile service operators to help the people of J&K to connect with their families and friends.
It has also set up mobile charging units & calling booths to offer the stranded flood victims the facility to make free calls to their homes/families and friends.
The booths are equipped with handsets, sufficient talktime and mobile charging units to enable free calls.
Air India today announced it will operate two additional flights to Srinagar tomorrow and provide free passage to tourists stranded in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir as several chopper firms joined the multi-agency rescue and relief operations there.
While State-run Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited and private companies like Global Vectra and Himalayan Heli are working alongside the defence forces, private carriers like Jet Airways and IndiGo said they had started flying relief materials to Srinagar on their regular flights.
Air India’s offer for free passage back home to stranded tourists was announced after a meeting, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth and attended by top officials of various ministries including Civil Aviation Secretary V Somasundaran, to discuss the devastation in the State, officials said.
“Air India has kept two aircraft ready to join the humanitarian efforts in J&K, while Pawan Hans and private companies like Global Vectra and Himalayan Heli are working alongside the defence forces,” Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju said earlier.
The two widebody, twin-aisled Airbus A-330s, with a capacity of 220 seats, are likely to fly to Srinagar from here medicines, doctors and other relief materials tomorrow, airline sources later said.
These two aircraft would operate in addition to the two other scheduled daily flights to Srinagar.
Air India CMD Rohit Nandan said the two special planes have been kept on stand-by and “we are ready to carry passengers or relief materials provided by the Government or any NGO free of charge”.
Noting that all 17 daily scheduled flights to Srinagar, including those operated by private carriers, were “going on normally”, the Air India CMD said the national carrier was “also ready to provide additional capacity” in order to fly passengers and relief materials, including blankets, medicines, bottled water and warm clothing.
Air India and other airlines were also carrying heavy telecom equipment sent by Government and private telecom companies.
However, he said, “Our activity will begin only when people or materials are brought to the airport”, including flood-hit Srinagar.
With most of Srinagar submerged, passengers were finding it extremely difficult to reach the airport and those who were able to make it as well as incoming passengers were not able to leave the airport due to the rising water levels.
IAF and civilian choppers and transport aircraft have been undertaking non-stop sorties overnight to carry men and relief material to submerged parts, as mammoth multi-agency rescue efforts were underway in J&K to rescue lakhs of people trapped in flood-ravaged areas.
DGCA had yesterday directed all airlines not to charge anything extra from passengers from Srinagar and Jammu if they rescheduled or cancelled their bookings. They were also asked not to levy any cancellation fee.
Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo and other carriers today said they had made arrangements to extend the waiver for refund or reissue of tickets as per the DGCA directive.
Meanwhile, no-frill carrier IndiGo said 30 of their Srinagar colleagues were “still missing” as they were living in flood-affected localities.
A team of IndiGo staffers made a futile attempt to reach some of their colleagues on a raft, but could not make it, a statement said.
However, they rescued other people, including pregnant women, from the affected areas, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Banking operations in as many as 66 branches of State Bank of India in Kashmir valley were severely affected following heavy floods in Jammu and Kashmir where massive rescue operations are underway to help out trapped people.
With no communication link functioning with the branches in the Valley, SBI is hoping to restore banking operations once the water level recedes.
“Banking operations in Srinagar are completely disrupted due to floods. We have 66 branches in the Valley. Out of total branches, minimum of 60 are supposed to be closed, while there is no connectivity with rest of branches which are located on the outskirts, so we are not sure whether they are functioning,” a senior official of SBI said today.
SBI, which has 66 branches in the Valley spread across 10 districts, generates total business of more than Rs 3,000 crore in Kashmir valley, he said.
The official said the banking operations could only be restored when water level recedes, adding that communication link could not be established with the affected branches.
“Unless flood water level drops, banking operations cannot be restarted. But we have a back up team in place there which will start working towards restoring operations as and when water level comes down,” the official added.
As far as banking operations in Jammu is concerned, SBI official said banking operations were normal.
“One branch was affected in Udhampur area but that has also started functioning from today,” he informed.
SBI has a network of 177 branches in Jammu and Kashmir. (Agencies)
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