Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said here on Friday that when the scale of the problems in the state due to floods became known, he received a call from the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, assuring any required assistance.
"The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was dispatched to both Jammu as well as Kashmir. They have been deployed in the worst affected areas. I have a commitment from the Union Home Minister as to any sort of financial assistance that we require. We already have some money in the State Disaster Relief Fund. The cabinet, which met yesterday, has already released Rs 10 crores each for immediate operations in Kashmir and Jammu provinces. Further money will be released as and when required," said Abdullah.
Earlier today, Rajnath Singh had moved two teams of the NDRF to the flood-affected areas of Jammu which has had continuous rainfall. After a telephonic conversation with Abdullah, Rajnath Singh directed two NDRF teams to be air-lifted from Bhatinda, while two more will be moved during the day for rescue operations.
Abdullah however refused to comment on the letter about Kashmiri migrants written to him by Rajnath Singh, saying that it hadn't reached him yet and this was not the right time to speak about it.
"That letter is serving as distraction. The discussion can wait couple of weeks. I wish the letter had reached me first, rather than reports about it in the media," said Abdullah.
Earlier today, Rajnath Singh had asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to identify suitable land for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants. In a letter addressed to Abdullah regarding the implementation of the rehabilitation scheme for Kashmiri migrants, the Home Minister suggested that land may be identified near the native places they migrated from. He also advised that such areas should be selected keeping in view the availability of adequate security in close proximity of the place.
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Abdullah said that seeing the current situation of rain and floods in both the provinces their immediate focus as of now is the rescue of people affected from flood and prevention of any further loss of life. "We are grappling with the spread of challenge; our immediate focus is rescuing people affected by floods. The rain has hit both provinces Jammu and Kashmir; almost all our rivers are flowing above the danger mark," Abdullah added.
He also said, "We are mobilizing as many boats as possible to rescue the trapped people; we have removed as many boats from Srinagar. We have deployed them in South, Central and North Kashmir. We have requisitioned the army to come out in aid to civil administration. Army boats are supplementing whatever efforts the civil government is able to put in."
He further added that seeing the reduction in the rainfall, the water level might go down now and after that the next challenge would be to begin the process of rehabilitating the affected people.
Moreover, he said that homes have been either completely or partially destroyed, standing crop has been ruined, livestock damage has taken place, and precious lives have been lost.
Expressing concern over the lack of boats, he said, "We lack boats, roads are broken, but even then we have deployed boats. We have sent around 300 boats from Srinagar and we are trying to deploy maximum number boats, but no area is there which is not under water, the army has also helped but till now due to poor weather conditions we were unable to use the air services, but now as the sky is clear and if required we will use Air Force and helicopters."
Heavy rains have inundated many villages in Jammu and Kashmir. Incessant rains for the past about 48 hours have also resulted in mud slides, flash floods and rising of water level in all rivers of Jammu and Kashmir.
The rescue operations are on in full swing in the flood affected regions of Naoshera, Rajouri, Thanamandi and Poonch districts of the state.
Authorities have declared a disaster alert after two days of heavy rain hit villages across the Kashmir valley, causing the worst flooding in two decades
Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to meet Abdullah tomorrow in Srinagar and will be travelling to Jammu as well.
