Reinforce flood-prone areas, evacuate the stranded: Omar Abdullah orders officials

Srinagar, Sep 5 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday ordered that the spots prone to flooding be reinforced and people stuck in villages be evacuated.

Chairing a meeting here, the chief minister directed swift restoration of essential services, such as power, water, and road in the flood-hit areas.

"Chief Minister chaired a meeting today morning on the post-flood scenario and directed reinforcement of vulnerable spots, evacuation of people from inundated villages, round-the-clock monitoring through control rooms, and frequent visits to affected areas & timely advisories urging residents to stay alert, avoid panic & cooperate with administration," his office said on X.

An official spokesperson said Abdullah also issued directions to counter rumour mongering.

The next 48 to 72 hours are "critical," the chief minister said, according to him.

The statement quoted Abdullah saying, "The level of vigilance currently being maintained must continue until the water recedes below the danger mark. Our deployed teams must remain fully active on the ground, and continuous monitoring of bunds should be carried out. Any leakages or breaches must be addressed without delay." He added, "We cannot afford complacency." Abdullah asked all deputy commissioners to conduct realistic assessments of damage to property, agricultural lands, and infrastructure.

"These findings will form the basis for projecting requirements to the Government of India," he said.

Abdullah announced Rs 5 crore from the UT CapEx budget, in addition to funds from the State Disaster Response Fund, towards food relief.

He also asked deputy commissioners and agriculture department officials to assess damage to standing crops across the two provinces.

The health department was asked to remain vigilant against potential water-borne and post-flood diseases.

At the meeting, Kashmir divisional commissioner briefed Abdullah on the water level at Sangam, Ram Munshi Bagh and Asham, saying that it has now receded below the danger mark, and water was also receding from villages in Shalina.

Essential supplies are being routed through Mughal Road, which has become the valley's temporary lifeline after the blocking of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), which is expected to be restored by Saturday, the spokesperson said.

Jhelum's tributaries, including Lidder, Vaishow, Sandran, and Rambi Ara, were all seeing a decline in their water level, he said. PTI SSB VN VN