The operation to trace out the 19 persons including eight women who are missing after a cloudburst on intervening night of July 27 and 28 continued at Honzar village in Kishtwar district.
So far seven people have died while seventeen others were rescued in injured condition, five of them critically. However, rescuers met with no success on Friday as there was no trace of the missing persons, the officials said.
“Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh and Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Raghav Langer personally supervised the rescue and relief operation in the cloudburst hit Hounzar village of Tehsil Dachhan during their two day visit to the area,” officials said.
The officers trekked on foot for total 34 kms (both sides) to get the first hand information amidst difficult terrain and continuous rainfall, they said.
The missing persons include Saja Begum (60) wife of Ghulam Mohidin, Khursheed Ahmed (31) son of Mohammad Iqbal, Fida Hussain (26) son of Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Sharif (40) son of Ghulam Rasool, Almina Tasbassum (22) daughter of Mohammad Iqbal, Mata Begum (45) wife of Lala Tantry, Ghulam Mohammad (70) son of Ghulam Rasool, Fazal Hussain (18) son of Rustom Ali Chopan, Tariq Hussain (50) son of Nazir Ahmed, Zarina Begum (40) wife of Tariq Hussain, Mata Begum (45) wife of Ghulam Rasool, Fatima Begum (56) wife of Ghulam Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed (45) son of Rustum Ali, Begum (45) wife of Abdul Rehman, Sharifa Begum (38) wife of Ghulam Mohammad, Shakir Hussain (22) son of Ghulam Ahmed, Ghulam Ahmed (65) son of Abdul Aziz, Zubaida Banoo (25) daughter of Ghulam Ahmed and Khalid son of Haji Gami.
Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Ashok Sharma; DIG DKR range Uday Bhaskar Billa; SSP Kishtwar Shafqat Hussain Butt; ADC Kishtwar, Kishori Lal Sharma; SDM Marwah Dr. Mohsin Raza, DFO Marwah, Vijay Kumar; Executove Engineer PMGSY Mohd. Aslam Lone besides other officers, the team of officers supervised and monitored the rescue operation being conducted by the teams of SDRF, NDRF, Police, military, district administration and locals.
The Divisional Commissioner and ADGP conducted on-site inspection of devastation caused by flash floods which were triggered by excessive rain and cloudburst.
Indian Air Force (IAF) had pressed three helicopters from Jammu, Srinagar and Udhampur and made eight sorties, transferring relief load of 2250 kgs, 44 NDRF and SRDF personnel and four medical assistants besides evacuating two critically injured persons from Soundar to Kishtwar for specialised treatment, the officials said.
Six teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with sophisticated equipment are involved in the operation along with other rescuers from police, Army and local volunteers, the officials said.
During the visit, the Div Com and ADGP met with the villagers and victims and also inquired about the operation being conducted by the rescue teams.
The locals demanded the constitution of a Rehabilitation Committee to facilitate the provision of Relief and Rehabilitation of the affected people in an efficient and transparent manner.
They demanded for the employment of the NOKs of the deceased on immediate basis besides restoration of essential services like electricity, water supply and other relief measures.
The Div Com listened to their grievances and said that the government is at their doorstep to provide each and every possible relief in these tough times.
Besides, he assured them that directions have been issued to the concerned officers for making all provisions for restoring normal life in the area.
He directed SDM Marwah to expedite the process of disbursement of compensation as per SDRF norms as already announced by UT govt to be extended into the accounts of the victims on immediate basis.
Further, DFO was to repair the damaged infrastructure likes bridges etc as per SDRF rules urgently.
Besides directed the heads of all the concerned department to assess the damages in livestock etc for necessary actions.
Enroute, he also met with delegations at Suid, Sounder and Hanzer and listened their demands and suffering being faced by them. People demanded public health centre at Housar, establishment of Helipad at Hounzar, besides demanded timber for suffer, special SPO recruitment, establishment of bank branch at Suid.
He assured them that all their genuine demands and issues shall be redressed at an earliest with all possible efforts. (GNS)
