MHA Team Assesses Flood Damage in J&K, Coordinates Relief Efforts

SRINAGAR: A Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) team arrived in Kashmir on Saturday to evaluate the damage from recent heavy rainfall that caused flooding in many parts of the scenic Valley. The official said here that the team will inspect affected areas, assess ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts, and consult with local authorities to gauge the extent of losses.

Earlier this week, swollen Jhelum River waters inundated south and central Kashmir, damaging homes, infrastructure, and crops, particularly paddy fields and apple orchards, though no fatalities were reported. The team previously visited flood-ravaged Jammu, the hardest-hit region, where adverse weather over the past month has claimed around 150 lives due to flash floods and landslides, with key roads, including the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, blocked, disrupting connectivity and relief efforts.

The MHA team’s visit aims to assess the damage and explore additional recovery aid for the Union Territory. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and political leaders have requested a central relief package. On September 1, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Jammu, inspecting flood- and landslide-affected areas, including the Tawi Bridge, a Shiv Temple, and homes in Mangu Chak village. He chaired a high-level meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Abdullah, and senior officials to review the situation.

Shah expressed grief over the loss of lives, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been closely involved, ensuring robust rescue efforts by the central government, NDRF, Army, and local agencies, which minimized potential damage and saved lives. He called for a critical review of Early Warning Apps (EWAs) and the GLOF Early Warning System to achieve a zero-casualty goal, urging the Meteorological Department and NDMA to study cloudburst triggers using data analytics and AI.

Shah also directed the Food Corporation of India to arrange additional rations and proposed a meeting within days to coordinate further action. He emphasized prioritizing damage assessments, water supply, and health services, with support from Army, CAPF, and Air Force medical units. Shah had assured J&K residents of the central government’s full support under Modi’s leadership, providing relief, financial aid, and technical assistance for recovery and reconstruction. 

Meanwhile, the Congress has demanded that the Centre declare the flood devastation in J&K a national calamity and announce a comprehensive relief package. JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra also called for a judicial probe into the deaths of over 100 pilgrims in cloudburst and landslide incidents on routes to Machail Mata and Vaishno Devi shrines in Kishtwar and Reasi districts last month.

Karra criticized Home Minister Shah’s recent visit to Jammu as inadequate, accusing him of a casual approach and failing to address the pilgrims’ deaths. He said the BJP-led Centre has not learned from past calamities, neglecting measures like enhancing river and flood channel capacities to tackle flash floods.

He urged the government to create a comprehensive plan with stakeholders to prevent future disasters and provide a relief package for reconstructing damaged infrastructure and rehabilitating affected populations, including farmers who lost crops.