J&K floods: Modi reviews situation with Omar Abdullah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reviewed the flood situation in Jammu region at a high-level meeting attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and top officials. Mr. Modi, who arrived here this morning, held the meeting at Jammu’s Technical Airport and was briefed by Mr. Abdullah on the devastation caused by the floods which have claimed 116 lives, officials said. The Prime Minister is scheduled to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Jammu zone, they said.

He will later fly to Srinagar for an assessment of the damaged caused by the floods. The decision on the Prime Minister’s visit came following a review meeting which he called after being briefed on Saturday by Home Minister Rajnath Singh who returned to the national capital after surveying the flood—affected regions, the Prime Minister’s Office had said in a statement.

“After reviewing the situation, the Prime Minister decided to visit Jammu and Kashmir to personally assess the gravity of the situation and understand the problems being faced by the people,” it had said.

The Cabinet Secretary and Mr. Modi’s Principal Secretary were among those who had attended the meeting. Torrential rains which triggered flooding, landslides and house collapses have so far claimed 160 lives. Mr. Modi, while condoling the deaths in the flood, had on Thursday announced Rs. 2 lakh as ex-gratia relief for the kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the seriously injured.

Flood situation grim

The flood situation in Kashmir worsened on Sunday as many parts of Srinagar, including the Army cantonment in Badamibagh, were inundated and vital roads submerged. The embankments of River Jhelum were breached at many places due to rise in water level, submerging areas like Badamibagh, Sonawar, Rajbagh, Kursu, Natipora, Nowgam and old Barzulla, officials said. Water has also seeped into important installations like Civil Secretariat and High Court in the heart of the city, the official said.

They said vital roads including the airport road, Exhibition Crossing, Hari Singh High Street, Lal Chowk and Regal Chowk have also been submerged under several feet of water. Access to main hospitals like SMHS and Lalla Ded has been cut off due to the flooding of the roads.

Thousands of people from water-logged areas have been moved to safer places but many people have been trapped in upper stories of their homes in low-lying areas of the city, the officials said.

Communication system has been disrupted with all almost all private cellular networks out of order. The landline telephone network has also been badly affected.

“We are not able to get information from areas which have been cut off by flood water. Exact extent of deaths and destruction over the past 24 hours is not known,” an official in the Police Control Room said.

Electricity and water supply has remained disrupted in affected areas for the past six days now.

Torrential monsoon rains, which triggered flooding, landslides and house collapses in Jammu and Kashmir, have so far claimed 160 lives in the state.