The Centre would send eight fully equipped NDRF teams to Kashmir to assist the Jammu and Kashmir government in its efforts to safeguard life and property in the wake of the flood situation in the Valley.
The Centre would send eight fully equipped NDRF teams to Kashmir to assist the Jammu and Kashmir government in its efforts to safeguard life and property in the wake of the flood situation in the Valley.
"Eight fully equipped NDRF teams will be arriving in Kashmir to assist the state government in its efforts to safeguard life and property of people in the wake of flood situation arisen due to incessant rains that lashed the Valley during past few days," a J&K government spokesman said.
Two NDRF teams comprising 100 personnel have already been rushed by an IAF plane from Bhatinda in Punjab to Srinagar. Union Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, who had an hour-long meeting through video conferencing with state Chief Secretary Iqbal Khandey, assured that the Centre would provided all help necessary in dealing with the situation and eight NDRF teams will be rushed to the state immediately from New Delhi, Patna and other places.
The Union Cabinet Secretary asked the NDRF to keep necessary equipment and more boats ready should a need arise to send them at a very short notice to the Valley or any other part of the state for rescue operations, the spokesman said.
The NDRF teams will be stationed in South, Central and North Kashmir to assist the local administration in its efforts, he said.
Khandey told Seth that three joint control rooms in South, North and Central Kashmir have been set up and transport facilities arranged for facilitating rapid mobilisation of boats to rescue and evacuate people in case any area gets flooded.
"We are ready and fully geared up to meet any eventuality," the state chief secretary said.
No breach in Jhelum or the flood spill channel has been reported so far and the administration has kept ready sand bags to raise and fortify embankments, Khandey informed Seth.
Khandey said during the last few days, heavy rains coupled with melting snow has led to rapid increase in the discharge of rivers and rivulets. He said that all available pumps have been pressed into service to drain out water from inundated areas.
Relief camps have been established at identified locations and these have been provided with adequate quantity of ration, water, fuel, blankets and other necessary items, he said. Khandey said that stocks of LPG, Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene oil are available for meeting the requirements for next 10 to 15 days.
However, 2,000 trucks are held up on the closed National Highway and if it could be opened at the earliest, stock position will automatically improve. On availability of medicines, the Chief Secretary said that adequate supplies are available besides all health institutions have been put on high alert and control rooms established in various hospitals. All CMOs, BMOs and Medical Superintendents have been asked to ensure necessary arrangements are put in place in hospitals to fully deal with any eventuality.
He said small DG sets have also been hired by the hospitals to provide alternate source of electricity should power supplies snap. Seth, during the meeting, gave directions to the authorities concerned to make the National Highway and other roads trafficable, besides ensuring that unlike the September floods, communication facilities do not collapse and are kept active at all cost.
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