Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday reviewed the flood situation in Jammu and Kashmir and announced a special assistance of Rs.1,000 crore. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked people not to panic, asserting that help will reach them soon.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) began a massive aerial relief and rescue operation in flood-affected regions of the state. The floods have claimed over 100 lives so far.
The Rs.1,000 crore package announced for the flood-hit state was besides a Rs.2 lakh compensation from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the kin of each dead and Rs.50,000 each for the seriously injured.
Modi, who undertook an aerial survey of the flood-affected Jammu and Srinagar regions, said the current crisis was a "national level disaster".
Abdullah, who also met the prime minister, promised the flood-hit people that help will reach them soon and asked them not to panic. The state is reeling under the worst floods in six decades.
"This is an unprecedented situation and we are doing the best we can under the circumstances. Please don't panic, we will reach you, I promise," the chief minister wrote on his Twitter account.
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He said his primary focus was to save the lives of the people affected by the floods.
Abdullah said he has asked the cabinet secretary to direct the air force to use helicopters to evacuate people.
Modi said the army, air force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were cooperating with the state to expedite relief work.
He said medical and other assistance would be provided on an urgent basis.
In view of damage to houses, Modi said efforts were on to arrange tents.
"Many houses have been destroyed. We are speeding work to provide 5,000 tents in flood-hit areas," he said.
Modi said the government was prepared to provide relief to people as the weather becomes colder.
The government has directed officials to repair roads leading to Leh and Ladakh so that food and other livelihood supplies could be sent before the state gets cut off at the onset of winter.
The prime minister also offered to extend all possible help to the flood-affected people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
"India will never hesitate from doing work of humanity," Modi said, and also appealed to all states to provide assistance to Jammu and Kashmir.
The prime minister was accompanied by army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on the aerial survey.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also took stock of the grim situation.
The air force started a massive relief and rescue operation in the flood-affected regions Sunday.
"A total of 850 personnel have been airlifted so far in the flood-affected regions of the state," a defence ministry statement said.
"One C-17 Globemaster aircraft has been launched from Delhi to Awantipur with RAMT (Rapid Action Medical Team), two IL-76 aircraft with medical supplies and boats have taken off from Palam Air Force Base for Srinagar," it said.
"One IL-76 with teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) personnel has also taken off from Palam. Three C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft have been pressed into service to transport boats from Pune and Gandhinagar to Srinagar and blankets and tents from Kanpur to Jammu and Srinagar," it said.
A total of 26 IAF helicopters are also operating in the floot-hit regions.
Meanwhile, radio transmission in the Kashmir Valley was cut off after flood waters inundated the transmitter installations of state-run Radio Kashmir in Srinagar, officials said.
The local Doordarshan centre is already operating from makeshift facilities after its studios got flooded.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Sunday also undertook an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said official sources in Islamabad.
A Pakistan government source said: "The people of Pakistan are also feeling pain and saddened over the loss of lives and properties of the people in IoK (Indian Jammu and Kashmir) and are with them and ready to help in whatever way possible to mitigate their sufferings caused by the heavy floods".