 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 4: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) Provincial President, Rattan Lal Gupta, has called for an immediate and comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package to address the devastation caused by floods, landslides, and cloudbursts in the Jammu division.
In a press release issued from the party's Provincial headquarters at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan, Jammu, Gupta highlighted the severe loss of hundreds of precious lives, damage to both public and private infrastructure across the region. "The entire Jammu division has been battered by landslides, cloudbursts, and flooding in low-lying areas. Schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and culverts have been severely impacted. Many of the structures have either sunken or been completely eroded, while electricity and potable drinking water supplies have also been severely affected," Gupta stated.
He further mentioned the massive loss of personal belongings, which many people had accumulated over decades, and the tragic situation faced by farmers, whose standing crops have been destroyed. Small businesses and shops are also heavily impacted, while sanitation and drainage systems in both rural and urban areas have collapsed. Likewise similar destruction and losses are happened in Kashmir division. According to preliminary reports, the total loss is estimated to be more than 1.5 lakh crore in J&K.
"J&K already grappling with limited resources, cannot cope with such a massive catastrophe on its own," he added. "The funds allocated by the central government are woefully inadequate, far too little to even rebuild a single bridge. In addition to the destruction of property, lives were lost in Ramban, Kishtwar, Doda, and Jammu. The families of the victims are in deep distress."
Gupta called for an urgent, comprehensive package from the central government to provide both immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation to the affected communities.
He emphasized that the scale of the devastation is beyond comprehension and requires a wholehearted response from New Delhi.
"I hope the central government rises to the occasion and formulates a comprehensive package to address the crisis and help rebuild the affected region," Gupta concluded. |
