NEW DELHI: Nearly 2,34,000 residents have been rescued by the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, which has witnessed the most devastating natural calamity in decades, cutting off communication, power lines and leaving millions of people homeless. According to Defence Ministry officials, the rescue operation by Naval Marine Commandos on Monday combed Watlab, Widipura and Tankpura areas to evacuate stranded residents.
However, separatist leaders are creating huge problems for the agencies in distribution of relief materials said an official, adding they are feeling completely isolated. A video of Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik surfaced on Monday in which he allegedly asked voluntary relief workers not to distribute food items, as only JKLF can operate in that particular area. Malik and his team later looted the relief materials and boats of aid workers and started distributing the items among the victims.
The inhuman act of separatists is not limited to distribution of relief materials but they also threatened patients to avoid Army assistance despite strong protests by the locals. Malik had forced an ailing woman patient to get off from an Army boat that came for her rescue.
Meanwhile, though the rescue agencies scrambled to restore power and communication networks in south Kashmir after the water level receded, several areas remained inundated and cut off. As many as 30 high capacity generators have been sent to Srinagar to augment continuous power supply in relief camps and field hospitals. Additional communication equipment of BSNL was also airlifted to restore the collapsed network in the State. In the wake of flood, the Centre mobilised resources, expertise and capabilities of all the ministries to help the affected residents. The Cabinet Secretary was on Monday briefed by Telecom, Power, Civil Aviation, Food & Consumer Affairs, Industry, Textiles, Railways, Health, Petroleum, Road Transport & Highways, Home, Defence, Border Roads Organisation and Indian Meteorological Department officials about work being carried out by respective ministries for helping the people of J&K.
An official in Delhi said the Army and NDRF, with strong presence on the ground, have turned their focus on relief operations and medical assistance, and so far more than 2,000 seriously ill people have been airlifted for the further treatment.
Focus on other regions, says Supreme Court
Expressing satisfaction with the relief operations carried out in the flood-affected regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the Supreme Court on Monday asked rescue agencies to focus on other regions apart from Srinagar where thousands of people are stranded.
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