Jammu, Sept 01: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha earlier today, accompanied Union Home Minister Amit Shah to survey the rain and flood affected areas of Jammu.

The Lieutenant Governor in a statement said: “My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and those who have suffered loss of property in this massive natural calamity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have assured that every possible effort will be made to provide immediate relief to the families, restoration of buildings, roads and other infrastructure and all the help will be extended to affected families to reconstruct their lives.

Army, Air Force, NDRF, NHAI, CAPFs, SDRF, J&K Police and UT Administration have deployed all possible resources for rescue and relief efforts and providing aid and assistance to those who have been evacuated to safe locations. Due to unusual climatic occurrences, district-level officers to remain alert and must keep watch on the situation round the clock. I urge people to take all precautions and stay in a safe place”.

Jammu, Sept 01: Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Monday, briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Raj Bhawan Jammu about the extensive damage and distress caused by recent cloudbursts, incessant rainfall, and flash floods in various parts of the Jammu region.

On the second day of his visit to the Union Territory to personally assess the aftermath of the natural calamity, Home Minister Amit Shah was briefed in details the loss of precious human lives, livestock, damage to movable and immovable properties, and the sufferings of the people.

Sunil Sharma strongly urged the Home Minister to constitute special central teams to assess the damage across the affected districts. He emphasized the need for these teams to conduct a detailed and transparent survey so that required relief and rehabilitation measures can be planned.

He also demanded an immediate relief package for the calamity-hit areas and affected population, highlighting the urgent need for financial support, temporary shelters, food supplies, and restoration of basic services.

The scale of destruction is alarming. Roads have been washed away, power infrastructure is damaged, water supply systems are paralyzed, and several remote areas are cut off, he informed the HM.

Sunil Sharma further shared that the people of the affected areas are in distress and need the government’s immediate intervention.

The LoP slso called for a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package aimed at rebuilding damaged infrastructure and restoring normal activities. He particularly highlighted the sectors of roads, electricity, and water supply, which have suffered the most due to the floods.

Sunil Sharma reiterated the importance of long-term mitigation measures and better disaster preparedness mechanisms to safeguard lives and livelihoods in the future.

The Union Home Minister assured that the Centre stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in this hour of crisis and that all necessary steps will be taken for timely relief and restoration.

Jammu, Sep 01: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday visited Jammu to assess the damage caused by heavy rains, floods, and landslides in the region. During his visit, Shah met affected families in Mangu Chak village, inspected the damaged Tawi Bridge at Bikram Chowk, the Shiv Temple, and several flood-hit homes.

Following the inspection, the Home Minister chaired a high-level review meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and senior officers of the Centre and Union Territory administration.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been monitoring the situation closely since the beginning and had assured full support to the Union Territory. He added that coordinated rescue efforts by multiple agencies had helped minimize damage and save lives.

Shah emphasized the urgent need to strengthen Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) and cloudburst early warning systems, stressing that a critical analysis of existing Early Warning Apps (EWAs), their accuracy, and grassroots reach was vital to moving toward a “zero-casualty” approach. He directed the Meteorological Department and NDMA to jointly study weather patterns, including cloud moisture content, to establish better forecasting mechanisms using data analytics and AI.

The Home Minister also instructed the Food Corporation of India to make arrangements for additional rations, including offline delivery options if needed. He announced that advanced survey teams from the Ministry of Home Affairs would assess damages and assured that further central assistance would follow.

Highlighting preparedness, Shah said that early warnings from the Centre and the UT Disaster Management Authority had helped minimize casualties. “NDRF, Army, UTDRF, CAPFs, J&K Police, and Air Force helicopters were all kept on alert, ensuring quick mobilization of rescue teams,” he said. Over 5,000 people were evacuated to safer locations, while 17 NDRF teams and 23 Army columns continue to assist on the ground.

On relief measures, Shah noted that more than 80 percent power supply had been restored in affected areas, drinking water and health services were functioning, and road connectivity was being rapidly restored. He said compensation for damaged private property under the SDRF would be released at the earliest.

The Home Minister praised the quick and efficient rescue operations carried out by the UT administration and assured that the Centre would provide all possible assistance for relief, restoration, and long-term recovery.

“In this hour of crisis, the Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said, reiterating Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to ensuring their safety and well-being.

Chandigarh, Sep 01: More than 5,000 civilians were rescued and 21 tonnes of relief material was provided to the people in Jammu, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh affected by floods, the army said on Monday.

The Western Command of the Indian Army has been conducting extensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the flood-affected states.

A total of 47 columns including army aviation and Indian Air Force helicopters were activated along with formation engineers, medical and communication resources to provide immediate relief, an officer said.

The information was given at a press conference addressed by Major General Puneet Ahuja and Colonel Iqbal Singh Arora at the Western Command headquarters in Chandimandir in Panchkula.

The army operations started on August 16.

“Troops, engineers, medical detachments, aviation assets were mobilised at short notice to safeguard lives and restore essential services,” said Col Arora.

Flood relief columns were fully prepared, trained and equipped to undertake relief missions, he said.

“Aviation assets of both Indian Army Aviation and further supported by IAF ensured timely evacuation of stranded civilians and delivery of critical supplies,” he said.

A round-the-clock flood control monitoring cell has been established at each headquarter, to monitor the water levels at major headworks, including Bhakra Nangal dam, Ranjit Sagar dam and all other critical points, he said.

He said that the operations are being conducted in close coordination with the civil authorities, NDRF and SDRF.

“The integrated approach ensured optimal use of resources and timely assistance to the affected population, reflecting the nation’s resilience and unity during the crisis,” the officer said.

“A total of 47 columns have been mobilised, comprising personnel from engineers, medical detachments and communication teams, also in addition to the main rescue teams,” he said.

Twenty aircrafts including Advanced Light Helicopters, reconnaissance and observation helicopters, Mi-17 and a Chinook were engaged in round-the-clock missions, he said.

“More than 5,000 civilians and 300 paramilitary forces personnel have been rescued from inundated areas,” he said.

Approximately 21 tonnes of relief material including food packets, medicines and essential commodities have been delivered on ground and through aerial drops at cut off locations, the officer said.

Col Arora said the communication teams laid over 2 km of optical fibre cable on August 27, restoring mobile connectivity and enabling smooth coordination of relief measures.

The army engineers on August 29 constructed a bailey bridge at Jammu Tawi within 12 hours restoring a vital lifeline for the city, he said.

Punjab is inundated with massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Villages worst-affected by the floods were in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts.

Heavy rain and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir have left a trail of death and destruction.

More than 130 people have been killed, over 120 injured and 33 are untraceable following cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods in Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi and Ramban districts since August 14.

Record rainfall during August 26-27 also caused flash floods in low-lying areas in Jammu and other plains, causing grave damage to public and private infrastructure.

Himachal has also faced the brunt of nature’s fury with multiple flash floods and cloudbursts and several major landslides, which have claimed several lives.