Army rescues Gujjar family from flood waters in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 5 (UNI) The Army today said it rescued six members of a Gujjar family after being caught in gushing flood waters in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

A defence spokesman said a Gujjar family was out looking for grazing area for their cattle on Saturday on the outskirts of Girjapathri village in Pulwama district. As they were about to cross a foot bridge over Rembinara nullah near their camp at around 1500 hrs, the area was hit by flash floods.

The spokesman said flood waters swept away the bridge and six members of the Gujjar family were marooned. The rising waters threatened to sweep them all, he added.

Some onlookers, realising their plight, immediately contacted the Army camp at Chogam for assistance, he said, adding the Company Commander rushed to the site and after a quick assessment launched an operation to rescue the marooned family using lashing ropes.

The spokesman said Ghulam Quadir Chaupan, his wife Khalida Begum, brother Bashir Chaupan and Gulla Chaupan, Kallu Porwal and Mohammad Chaupan were saved because of the timely intervention of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) troops.

In the early hours of Sunday, the people of Amarzu village near Shirlgofar in south Kashmir were marooned in the flood waters from river Lidder, the spokesman said.

He said the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag immediately contacted the RR unit located at Aishmuqam for help. The troops rescued all 20 families comprising 80 civilians and brought them to Aishmuqam camp and arranged food, water and medical aid for them.

Again in the evening, the spokesman said when Mohommad Shafi Bhat and Yousuf Mir while taking out a log flowing downstream were washed away at Ganeshpura village. He was also rescued by RR troops.

The spokesman said on requisition by the civil administration, two Army columns were moved. One column distributed about 175 food packets in Hamdania Colony, Bemina near here.

The second column provided assistance in plugging a breach of spill channel at Haratrat. The work on the breach was in progress when reports last came in, he added.

The spokesman said the Army on humanitarian grounds launched a column in Letapur, Awantipur and rescued 5 stranded vehicles on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Food was also provided to about 100 civilians. Another team of the Army evacuated 15 personnel from Lasjan by using boats. As many as 12 families stuck in their houses at Y K Pura were also evacuated by the Army and moved to safer locations, he added.

UNI AG MSJ KP1982