 Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Sept 22: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a high-level meeting to take a comprehensive review of flood relief and restoration measures across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmed Dar & Satish Sharma and Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta; Principal Secretary PWD; Commissioner Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs; Secretary School Education; Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir divisions; Inspector General of Police (NH); Deputy Commissioners; and other concerned officers also attended the meeting. Several officials joined the meeting through virtual mode.
The Chief Minister directed all departments to expedite their assessment so that projections for relief and restoration could be submitted to the Government of India without delay. He enquired about the funds released during the floods and was informed that in several districts these funds have been utilized in temporary restoration works. Stressing the importance of durable solutions, he directed the Jal Shakti Department to avoid temporary fixes and instead focus only on permanent restoration of water supply schemes.
He also reviewed the safety audit of schools undertaken after the floods, calling for the certification process to be fast-tracked. Responding to rumours and misinformation circulating on social media about "deliberate delay" in movement of fruit trucks on Srinagar-Jammu Highway (NH-44), the Chief Minister instructed the Divisional Commissioners and IGP (NH) to issue verified information promptly so that people remain updated with facts.
Chief Minister was informed that slow movement has been on account of poor road conditions in certain stretches of National Highway and not deliberate.
During the meeting, Omar Abdullah expressed concern over damage to the historic Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex in Jammu. Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, informed that land subsidence along the Circular Road had damaged the backside of the complex, underscoring the need for urgent protective measures.
The Chief Minister impressed upon his Council of Ministers to finalize departmental projections quickly and for District Authorities to reconcile figures with Departments to arrive at accurate figures so that a consolidated proposal could be submitted to the Government of India for a comprehensive restoration package. He directed officials to ensure robust preparedness, strengthen embankments and put in place effective response mechanisms to safeguard lives and property. He further directed concerned Deputy Commissioners to submit report regarding admissibility of ex-gratia relief in favour of next of kin of families from J&K who lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh in recent land slide.
Earlier, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg presented a detailed report on the impact of the floods. He informed that losses in Kashmir division included 16 houses which were fully damaged, 57 severely damaged, and 791 partially damaged, with relief already disbursed in all cases. Tragically, one life was lost, for which compensation has been provided, while three other deaths in related incidents in Anantnag were compensated through the Red Cross. The meeting was informed about loss to live-stock, damage to cattle sheds and compensation disbursed in these cases.
Giving details of infrastructure damage, it was informed that nearly 90 km of roads were affected across 279 road stretches, of which 52 have been restored while the rest are under repair. Eighty-seven bridges and culverts were also damaged, with more than half already restored. A breach in the Jhelum at Zoonipora, Shalina in Budgam, is currently being repaired. In the power sector, over Rs 9.34 crore has been proposed for the restoration of damaged poles, conductors, and transformers. Out of 563 affected water supply schemes, 385 have been fully restored, while work is underway on the rest. Safety audits have been conducted on 115 school buildings, with certificates already issued for 43 schools.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir gave account of agricultural losses with more than 12,500 hectares of land affected and nearly 315 hectares in Horticulture impacted, primarily in Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama, districts with estimated losses of about ?59 lakh. On essential supplies, the situation was reported as stable, with stocks of petrol, diesel, and LPG sufficient for several days. Fruit transportation from Kashmir to Jammu and Delhi is progressing smoothly, with over 1.37 lakh boxes already moved.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu presented the situation in the Jammu Division, reporting several human and heavy material losses. He said the floods claimed 150 lives, left 178 people injured, and 33 missing, with Kishtwar recording the highest casualties. Housing losses were severe, with more than 4,200 homes fully damaged and over 8,600 partially damaged, the worst-hit districts being Udhampur and Jammu. Livestock losses stood at 1,455 and crops over 1,300 hectares were damaged.
It was informed that financial assistance exceeding Rs 40 crore has been disbursed from the State Disaster Response Fund, with an additional Rs 3.35 crore provided from the HCM Relief Fund. Restoration work is underway across sectors, with over 2,700 km of roads and more than half of the damaged bridges already temporarily restored. Permanent restoration of roads and bridges is estimated at nearly Rs 893 crore. The power sector was also badly affected, with over 49,000 distribution transformers hit-almost all of which have now been restored. More than 2,000 water supply works were damaged, with around 1,600 temporarily restored, requiring nearly Rs 195 crore for permanent restoration.
The education sector also bore the brunt of the floods, with more than 8,800 schools audited for safety. Over 5,500 have been issued safety certificates, of which around 5,200 were deemed safe, while 758 were declared unsafe. In public health, 442 water samples tested and over 1,500 health camps were organized, screening nearly 80,000 people. Encouragingly, no warning signs of disease outbreaks have been reported.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reiterated that permanent restoration of infrastructure and restoration of livelihoods would be taken up on a war footing once a comprehensive package is approved by the Government of India. |
