IAF recreating assets lost in Kashmir quake: Air Marshal

Uroosa, Line of Control (LoC), Dec 13 (UNI) Air Officer Commanding- in-Chief of Western Air Command Air Marshal A K Singh today visited Uroosa and neighbouring villages in border area of Uri in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir to review relief and rehabilitation work being carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The villages were ravaged by the powerful earthquake on October 8 last year.

Addressing journalists here, he said the IAF carried out restoration of infrastructure operations in the earthquake-ravaged villages -- Uroosa, Gwalta, Isham and Chakra -- in the area.

Air Marshal Singh said the the IAF was earnestly in the process of repairing and recreating assets that had been lost in the quake.

In the aftermath of the disaster, he said the IAF decided to adopt some villages of the quake-hit region to provide relief and healthcare to the affected people.

Since then, the IAF has flown 1276 sorties carrying more than 2500 tons of relief material for distribution among quake survivors.

Air Marshal Singh said the IAF helped in evacuation of more than 500 people and provided medicines and healthcare to more than 5000 survivors. A relief camp with a primary health centre has been established in this village to coordinate rehabilitation works in these villages so far, he added.

Air Marshal Singh said ration was distributed to all villagers for a duration of six months. Clothes, blankets, tents, utensils, solar lamps and other relief material have also been distributed in all the quake-hit villages.

He said the IAF was constructing nine schools and community centres and five mini hydel power plants in these villages. A school and some community centres at Uroosa and Khalsapetti have already been handed over to the local authority, Air Marshal Singh added.

He said the relief operations were continuing and the IAF was involved in day-and-night mission so that maximum possible relief operations could be undertaken for the affected people of the Kashmir valley.

Air Marshal Singh said the IAF had so far spent about 2.7 crore in relief and rehabilitation operations in the affected villages.

He also informed that Air Chief S P Tyagi and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were likely to visit Uroosa and other quake-hit villages on December 28.

UNI AG RR GC1938