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J&K floods: Army, NDRF evacuate over 42,500 people

J&K floods: Army, NDRF evacuate over 42,500 people

India Blooms News Service | | 09 Sep 2014, 06:48 pm
Srinagar, Sept 9 (IBNS): The Indian Army and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) continued the massive rescue and relief operations in flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday where the forces evacuated over 42,500 people.
However, lakhs of people are still stranded on rooftops awaiting rescue.
 
The Armed Forces on Tuesday increased their efforts by pressing into service more helicopters and rescue materials including boats. 
 
"Armed Forces and NDRF so far rescued 42,587 persons in different regions of J&K, " the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
 
About 24,000 people were evacuated from the Srinagar city alone.
 
The Army has deployed 215 columns of its personnel for rescue and relief operations, in which 130 columns are deployed alone in Srinagar region and 85 columns are pressed into action in Jammu region.
 
In Srinagar, Army columns concentrated their efforts  to cover areas of Rajbagh, Shivpura, Indira Nagar, Bemina and Tankpura. 
 
In Srinagar itself, 4000 persons were evacuated, which included Ambassador of Nepal along with a 17 member delegation and 28 member Pakistani golf team (part of SAARC team), on Monday.
 
The forces have distributed 7,200 blankets and 210 tents. 
 
The Army also distributed 42,000 litres of water, 600 kilograms of biscuit, 7 tonne baby food and 1000 food packets in the flood-affected areas. Additional water bottles are being airlifted from Chandigarh and Delhi. 
 
In an endeavor to provide speedy medical aid to the affected populace, 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services have also swung into action. 
 
So far 354 sorties were undertaken by the helicopters and aircraft of Indian Air Force and 459 tonnes of relief materials are dropped by the Indian Air Force. Altogether 61 aircraft and helicopters have been pressed into action. 
 
A total of 110 Army bauts and 148 NDRF’s inflatable boats are actively involved in the rescue operation. 
 
State-run telecommunications provider BSNL with the assistance of the Armed Forces is trying hard to restore its mobile services through satellite network and the telecom network at the earliest, as the state remained cut off from the entire country.
 
Besides, Air Force communication equipment and a team from private telecom company are being airlifted from Delhi. 
 
Fifteen engineering task force teams along with boats and other lifesaving equipment have already reached the flood affected areas to supplement the rescue operation. 
 
The situation is being continuously monitored and progress of the events are updated at the office of the HQ IDS in New Delhi. 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced a special assistance of Rs. 1,000 crore for flood-affected Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Rs. 2 lakh compensation would be given to the kin of each dead and Rs. 50,000 each for those seriously injured owing to the crisis from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
 

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