J&K flood: Telecom link failure compounds agony as multi-agency rescue operation intensifies

Desperate residents were huddled on rooftops and upper floors of their houses in several areas as they tried to escape the worst flooding in the state in six decades that has already claimed more than 150 lives.

IAF choppers and transport aircraft undertook several sorties as relief work was extended for the first time to South Kashmir with nearly 22,000 people being evacuated so far, including 2,000 people from Srinagar city and adjoining areas. IAF has deployed 45 aircraft and helicopters into action, a Defence spokesman said.

The rescued included 1,400 Army personnel and their families caught in flood waters in its headquarters at Badamibagh cantonment in Srinagar.

The cantonment along with areas of Shivpora and Indranagar in Srinagar were submerged as the water level rose as high as 18 feet due to breach in the Jhelum River.

With thousands of people trapped on the second floor, third floor or on the roof tops in several areas in the Valley, a Defence spokesman said Army plans to continue the rescue operations even at night.

Heavy floods have snapped Kashmir Valley’s telecommunication links with the rest of the country even as BSNL launched an operation on a war-footing with Army and IAF to restore mobile services through satellite network.

“We are facing a big problem of communication as all links are down. We are not able to communicate with our teams sent on ground in this flood-ravaged areas. Also, as water level is high in many places our personnel are not able to reach the stranded,” National Disaster Response Force chief O P Singh told reporters in Delhi.

An IAF officer said the situation in Jammu sector was under control but in Srinagar it was yet to improve. The weather in Srinagar remained cloudy, he said.

Defence spokesman Col S D Goswami said the number of army columns deployed have increased to 212. One army column consists of 75 to 100 troops.

Navy commandos joined the massive rescue operations being carried out by Army, IAF and NDRF rescuing around 200 stranded people on the Srinagar-Sopore Highway. Naval diving teams are also on standby at New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam for the rescue efforts.

Sixty-five medical teams and 15 Engineer Task Forces (ETFs) have been deployed and airlifting of four additional ETFs and 10 medical teams is also underway, Goswami said.

The ETF teams are being rushed from New Delhi to the flood -affected areas to bolster rescue efforts, he said, adding that these teams will carry boats and life-saving equipment.

“Relief operations are continuing with unabated intensity. 83 tonnes of emergency rations, 3,000 blankets, 45,000 litres of potable water, 1,000 life jackets and 220 tents are being airlifted from Chandigarh, Pathankot and Kanpur.

“The despatch of troops and rescue materials will continue in view of the task at hand. All available army aviation resources have been pressed into service,” he said.

The army has distributed 23,000-l of water and 600-kg of biscuits in the flood-affected areas along with 4,000 blankets and 90 tents.

The spokesman said that 85 tonnes of medicines has been airlifted for the flood victims while 16 relief camps are being set up in different parts of the state.

As many as 1,245 people have been airlifted by Indian Air Force in its helicopters and transport aircraft, he said, adding that 140 sorties have been made by IAF choppers and planes with 155 tonnes of relief materials having been airdropped.

“The situation is being constantly monitored and progress of the events is updated at the office of the HQ IDS in New Delhi,” he said.

Meanwhile, even as the rescue operations continue, large- scale relief camps are being set up at Avantipur and Anantnag, Goswami said.

To cater to the people being evacuated from Srinagar, makeshift relief camps have been set up inside Badami Bagh Cantonment and the services of 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, are being utilised.

The weather being clear today, a number of choppers were pressed into service to transport rescue and relief material to the isolated areas of south Kashmir, the spokesman said, adding that four boats and a medical team were also airlifted to Anantnag.

With the induction of additional boats into the rescue efforts in the Valley, additional missions from the airport side are being launched to cover the highly-affected areas of Raj Bagh and Jawahar-nagar, the spokesman said.