Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Sept 13: The people who were rescued from the inundated areas of Srinagar and airlifted to Jammu by Indian Air Force (IAF) have termed the flash flood as ‘nightmare’. However, during the ongoing ‘Operation Rahat’, Air Force carried out biggest ever rescue operation today by airlifting around 2000 people to Jammu from Srinagar and thousand others to different locations including Chandigarh and New Delhi till late night.
While narrating their ordeal and the problems being faced by them during this flash flood in Srinagar, some of the rescued people broke down into tears.
They said that it was the worst experience of their life, which they had never imagined in their dreams. The airlifted people praised Army and Air Force for evacuating the flood affected people from inundated areas of Srinagar.
Talking about the rescue operation going on in Srinagar, some of the people said that despite extending help to trapped people in inundated areas of Srinagar, the locals engaged in rescue operation are minting money. Apart from this, locals also forced the people to sit in their trapped places till they rescued their near and dear ones.
“Pick and Choose policy is going on in Srinagar during rescue operation as locals are rescuing their near ones on priority basis. No doubt they (locals) are also rescuing others, but after rescuing their relatives or near ones. If locals are working to rescue people, then they should do this job on equality basis not on caste or religion basis”, the flood affected victims stated.
“Due to lack of proper equipments, the Army, Air Force and other Central Forces are unable to rescue people from interior areas, who are without water and food for the past around one week. Locals involved in rescue operation took the benefit of the same and use to charge amount in lieu to rescue the trapped people”, they stated.
They strongly condemned the casual approach of the State Government for not keep check during the on going rescue operation in the inundated areas of Srinagar by locals and for giving full authorities to them to ‘loot’ the people during this tragedy.
“Where some of the locals are charging amount to rescue the people through bouts, some of them are busy in thefts in the house abandoned by the people during floods”, they said, adding that the State Government and Police Department should also keep check on such incidents along with ongoing rescue operation.
The family members, who are waiting outside Technical Airport at Jammu for the past around one week, also charged the State Government for not rescuing the people on war footing.
“The trapped people are without warm clothes and blankets and were forced to bear harsh cold weather during evening and late night hours. No efforts are being made by the State Government to evacuate them”, they stated.
While interacting with Excelsior after elevating from IAF Aircraft at Technical Airport Jammu, a teacher in the Education Department said “I along with my wife and children remained trapped in my house at Indira Nagar, Srinagar, but no one came to our rescue for around four days.
“After four days, I along with family including two children were rescued by locals, who also offered us meal for one time. Covering a distance of over 20 to 25 kilometers by foot, we reached Technical Airport Srinagar and from there we were airlifted to Jammu”, he added.
Daughter of a shoe polishing man hailing from Rajasthan, Mamta, who was struck at Soura, Srinagar along with her other family members while narrating her ordeal, broke down into tears. “After watching such a tragedy I never thought we will be rescued”, she said, adding that “we are safe is like a dream come true for me and my family members”.
“We remained in water-logged house for around two days and that too without food and water. We were rescued by Army and other central forces personnel. I have no words to say them thanks”, Mamta added.
Aqib Choudhary of Rajouri, who had gone to attend counseling for AICTE at SP College Srinagar, while speaking said that he along with his friends got struck in a hotel at Tulsi Bagh during the tragedy.
“Central forces including jawans of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) rescued us and were later taken to Technical Airport, Srinagar from where we reach Jammu through aircraft of IAF”.
Meanwhile, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Prashant Ek Nath Patange while talking to Excelsior said that during the ongoing ‘Operation Megh Rahat’, “IAF carried out biggest ever rescue operation today by airlifting around 2000 flood affected people to Jammu from Srinagar in around 45 sorties. 75 tonnes of relief material was distributed among masses residing in flood hit areas of Jammu province”.
He added that apart from this, hundreds of people were also airlifted to other locations including Chandigarh and New Delhi, but exact figures could not be ascertained.
Air Force has inducted C-130J Super Hercules Transport Aircraft to airlift the people from Srinagar to Jammu and to carry relief material to Srinagar during this ‘Operation Megh Rahat’, he said, adding that C-130J is ferrying between Jammu-Srinagar five times a day as it has large space to carry out people and relief material.
Patange added that, IAF is also using C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft during this ‘Operation Rahat’ for mass evacuation of people from Srinagar to Jammu.
When asked about wastage of large quantity of cooked food, he said “We were restricted to take cooked food from today onwards. He requested the people and the donors to send packed food apart from cooked food and also contributed towards Prime Minister Relief Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund”.
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