Army kept on standby in Kashmir to tackle flood situation

Srinagar, Sep 2 (UNI) The Army, Fire and Emergency Services were kept on stand by to supplement the Jammu and Kashmir government's flood control measures in the Valley and tackle any situation.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today rushed here from Leh to take stock of the flood situation in Pulwama and Anantnag districts.

Mr Azad was accompanied by PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Chief Secretary C Phunsog, Director General of Police Gopal Sharma, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Basharat Ahmad and other senior officers and engineers.

He later chaired a high-level meeting at Khannabal. Mr Azad asked Mr Mir to fully gear up the flood control and related departments to handle the situation effectively so that the people do not face any problem at any stage.

The Chief Minister advised that the people who were residing in submerged areas should be shifted to safer locations and schools, government and other buildings kept at their disposal.

Mr Azad also directed that all departments concerned should remain available round-the-clock in the flood control rooms. Mr Mir was also asked to monitor deployment of maximum number of life saving boats in the affected areas.

The Chief Minister directed the divisional administration to utilise all necessary infrastructure to help the affected people. He also asked the health department to gear up its machinery and keep adequate provision of medicines in the affected areas.

Mr Azad asked Mr Mir and other senior officials to keep him informed about the flood situation on minute-to-minute basis and the measures taken to help the people.

Keeping past experience in mind, the people living in the flood- prone areas should be kept in an alert condition to avoid human loss, he said.

Later at an emergency meeting here, Mr Mir said the government has taken all measures to meet any eventuality arising out of the flood situation due to continuous downpour since the past two days.

While about 64 dewatering pumps have been pressed into service, 1.10 lakh sand filled gunny bags were kept available to plug any breach in the embankments of various rivers and flood channels.

The flood control minister asked the engineers concerned to gear up men and machinery in all the flood-prone areas so that life and property was saved.

He directed to keep mobile dewatering pump sets ready which could be pressed into service at the time of emergency and also called for drafting long term flood control planning in the state.

The Minister asked the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to immediately provide free-ration to the flood-affected people. He said field agencies should be geared up to evacuate people from the water logged areas.

He also directed the officers concerned to keep the people aware about the flood situation through media. The Minister also inspected some areas near Charsoo in Anantnag marooned in flood water.

Later, the Minister went to the central flood control room at Batamaloo here to keep close watch on the situation. He was shown a close circuit television, modern internet based satellite system which gives information about the flood situation.

The Kashmir valley has been divided into 11 zones which have been kept under constant surveillance. A sizeable number of boats have also been rushed to various district headquarters facing flood threat for carrying out rescue and relief operations.

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