Rain fury in J-K: CM chairs meeting in Jammu; prioritises rescue, relief work

Jammu, Aug 27 (PTI) With heavy rains wreaking havoc in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the government's top priorities were rescue, relief and restoration, and emphasised the need for strict deadlines to ensure accountability and transparency in the response.

Chairing a meeting with top officials at the Civil Secretariat here, the chief minister reviewed the damage caused by the downpour across Jammu and Kashmir and assessed preventive and welfare measures in view of the prevailing weather situation.

He said the heavy rain has created a flood-like situation of devastating proportions, despite prior forecasts.

"The government's immediate priorities are rescue, relief and restoration. Strict deadlines must be set to ensure accountability and transparency in the government’s response," he said during the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Adviser to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, besides other senior police and administration officers.

Appreciating the role of the Jammu district administration, Abdullah said the rescue of people had been carried out effectively in many affected areas.

"Relief delivery is our next mission. We have to make arrangements for those whose houses have been damaged. It is our responsibility to look after them until they are settled," he said.

The chief minister directed that an immediate assessment of damages be undertaken so that a financial package could be pursued with the central government.

"We must ensure nobody remains hungry and that there is no outbreak of water-borne diseases. Debris removal and deployment of men and machinery will be our immediate focus," he said.

He underlined the importance of setting practical and time-bound targets for public services. "We have to be honest and give realistic hopes. The people must be presented with a practical picture," he said.

Taking note of power outages and disruptions in water supply, the chief minister directed temporary arrangements and augmentation of water supply through tankers wherever required.

"Restoration of water and power supply is our supreme priority. Silt removal from canals and nullahs must be ensured to avoid further aggravation or recurrence of backflow of rainwater," he told officials during the meeting.

The meeting also heard suggestions from MLAs, which the chief minister assured would be considered during the relief and restoration phase. Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir provinces briefed Abdullah on measures taken during the rains and floods, while Deputy Commissioners reported on district-level actions.

Minister Javed Ahmed Rana apprised the chief minister of the preparedness of his department in mitigating flood-like situations and in planning relief and restoration, particularly in the Jammu division.

The chief minister directed the minister to ensure restoration of damaged water supply schemes in Jammu and to expedite desilting of canals and nullahs before resumption of water flow.

Special directions were issued to the divisional commissioner of Kashmir to implement preventive measures against any flood-like situation in Srinagar city.

The deputy commissioners of the Kashmir division were instructed to maintain preparedness for any further adverse weather conditions.

The chief minister also reviewed the status of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. He directed that in case the highway did not open in the coming days, essential supplies to the valley must be ensured through the Mughal road. PTI AB RHL RHL