Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Aug 28: MLA Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania here today toured flood affected areas in his constituency covering Rathian, Channi Morh, Satteni, Sountha, Kashirah, Krowa, Kawa, Jaganoo and Ritti and reviewed the damage caused by the calamity.
He also interacted with the affected families and demanded urgent relief operations.
Pathania emphasized that the widespread devastation has been aggravated by unregulated and illegal mining. He urged the Central Government to announce a special central package on the lines of the 2014 Srinagar floods to help J&K recover fully.
The MLA expressed serious concern over the illegal mining close to water filtration plants, pumping stations, bridges, roads and forest belts, destabilizing riverbeds, triggering soil erosion and undermining protective embankments.
During his interactions with locals, Pathania noted that most losses suffered by households, farmers and small traders do not qualify for compensation under SDRF norms and described the announcement by the State Government as a mere drop in the ocean.
He directed officials to provide shelters, ration, drinking water, medicines and temporary connectivity to the flood hit people.
The MLA was accompanied by senior officials from Revenue, Irrigation & Flood Control, PWD, PMGSY, SDRF, Police, NGOs and other line departments. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Puran Chand, DDC Udhampur I; Sahdev Singh, Ex-Sarpanch; Purshottam Sharma, Ex-Sarpanch; Girdhari Lal Padha, Ex-Sarpanch; Krishan Singh, Ex-Sarpanch; Parveen and Aryan along with a large gathering of local residents.
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