DH NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, Sept 1
As many as 500 houses have suffered damage due to heavy rains and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, with relief and rehabilitation operations underway in the affected areas to restore essential supplies and road networks.
“A total of 50 houses have been fully damaged, 100 houses severely damaged, and 350 residential buildings partially damaged. Fourteen animals have lost their lives, and five human lives were lost,” Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh said on Monday.
Singh, who is overseeing the relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit areas of the district, said, “We have credited Rs 4 lakh compensation to each of the affected families.”
He said that the heavy rains that occurred from August 25 to 27 in Doda resulted in major losses and damages.
“The entire administration went from home to home, monitoring and assessing the situation at the grassroots level. Normal life is being brought back on track,” he said.
On the restoration of surface communication, he said that fully damaged roads have been temporarily restored. “The highway, Bhaderwah road, and PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) roads have been restored.”
Asserting that the damage is huge and widespread, the DC said that it will take time to cover these losses. “The funds we receive from time to time, or any package given to us, will be used for permanent restoration,” he said.
Pointing towards a fresh advisory about rains on Tuesday in the district, he said, “We request everyone to remain cautious, as heavy rains are predicted for tomorrow. We must be prepared, and nobody should go near water bodies.”
Around 190 houses were damaged and 45 cattle killed following a cloudburst that hit the Warwan Valley of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district last Tuesday, and multiple agencies are engaged in massive relief and rehabilitation operations.
Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, who reached the far-flung Marwah-Warwan valley, announced a month’s ration for the affected families. The ration as well as relief material from the Red Cross was distributed among the people on the spot.
The cloudburst hit the Margi hamlet in the Warwan Valley on August 26, causing large-scale destruction, but fortunately, no casualties.
“Out of 224 houses, around 50 were fully damaged, 130–140 severely damaged, while the rest were partially affected. The revenue department, SDRF, and other teams should speed up operations to clear the debris on priority,” Sharma said.
Flanked by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishtwar Naresh Singh, the deputy commissioner said that 45 cattle were buried under the debris.
Relief and rehabilitation operations are underway, Sharma said.
He further said six to seven locations in Marwah and Warwan were hit by cloudbursts, damaging roads and bridges. On his directions, the department concerned restored road and bridge connectivity in the affected areas.
Authorities have been tasked with assessing losses of crops and fruit trees so that compensation can be provided to farmers.
The deputy commissioner directed the public health engineering department to restore the damaged water pipelines on priority and ensure a safe drinking water supply to the affected families.
He assured people that a team will soon visit the area to plan long-term protective measures. The deputy commissioner and the SSP stayed in Warwan overnight and visited Nowapachi, where he held a public meeting.
