SRINAGAR: National Conference president and three-time former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday termed the flash floods and landslides in J&K’s Ramban, in which three persons were killed, as a “natural disaster”.
He also said statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would definitely be restored.
On flash floods and landslides in Ramban, Abdulah said, “It is a major disaster and I am hopeful that the Government of India and the Prime Minister will take note of it and give maximum assistance of the affected people. It is actually a natural disaster. A whole village has come down”.
“This is a natural disaster and we have to start thinking about the future. We have to clear the nallahs so that the water from the nallah flows smoothly,” the NC president said.
On rehabilitation of the affected people, he said, “We have to rehabilitate these people to other places because the whole mountain has come down."
He said the J&K government and the central government would help the affected people.
The flash floods and landslides have damaged a portion of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, forcing its closure. "The National Highway has been affected. If we had a direct train from Jammu to Srinagar today, it could have been used for ferrying people,” he said.
Abdullah said, “We are totally dependent on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. We need alternative routes, which could connect us with the rest of the country”.
“We will get power and statehood back,” Abdullah told reporters in response to a question on the restoration of statehood.
Abdullah said they (the central government) have made a promise about the restoration of statehood in the parliament.“It (statehood) will definitely be restored. Wait for some time,” he said.
“Leave it to us," he replied in response to another question on whether they will go for legal action in case statehood was not restored.