Nearly 43,000 people rescued in Jammi and Kashmir, 4 lakh still stranded

About four lakh people were still stranded and desperate for help today in flood-ravaged Kashmir Valley where heavy rains have eased to help scale up the massive multi-agency rescue and relief efforts in which nearly 43,000 people have so far been safely evacuated.

As the miseries faced by people--some of them perched on rooftops--in the worst floods to hit Jammu and Kashmir in six decades unfolded, the death toll in the floods, landslides and house collapses triggered by torrential monsoon rains since Tuesday last was stated to be around 200. Authorities were also trying to fix the telecommunication links snapped since Sunday afternoon on a war footing and hope to restore it in a phased manner.

"The big problem that is hampering rescue activities in the Valley is that telecom links have become dysfunctional... The Department of Telecommunications(DOT) is trying its best to restore the links quickly," an official said. Officials said shortage of boats was also affecting rescue operations.

A total of 61 IAF choppers and transport aircraft undertook 354 sorties non-stop overnight to carry men and relief material to submerged parts of the Valley where about one lakh troops were engaged in the rescue operations, Defence Spokesman Col SD Goswami told PTI in Jammu.

Officials said that an estimated four lakh people were believed to be still stranded in the aftermath of the floods. GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha said the weather condition is improving and the water level has receded in Srinagar and other towns in South Kashmir. "The weather has cleared and the intensity of the helicopter operations has picked up. In Srinagar, the water level has receded by 1.5 to 3 feet at some places but we are noticing an increase in water level on the northern side," he said.

The water level in Dal lake was also steadily rising.

TV footage showed overflowing flood waters from Dal lake having entered the ground around Hazratbal shrine complex. "A massive rescue and relief operations by the Indian Armed Forces, IAS and NDRF is on in Jammu and Kashmir with more helicopters and rescue materials including boats pressed into service today", the Defence Spokesman said.

"Armed Forces and NDRF so far rescued 42,587 persons in different regions of J&K", he said, adding that about one lakh troops were involved in the operations.

Though 110 Army boats and 148 NDRF's inflatable boats were pressed into service, there were complaints of shortage of boats. More boats were also being airlifted from Delhi. "We need boats. How can we pull the elderly and children to safety from the marooned areas?," an anguished flood survivor said.

"We are facing a shortage of boats for rescuing people from inundated areas," a state government official said.

BSNL has launched an operation on a war-footing with Army and IAF to restore mobile services through satellite network and the telecom network is expected to be partially restored today, officials said.

Road connectivity to the flood-hit Kashmir Valley has been restored from the Leh region following concerted efforts of Indian Army Engineers and the Border Roads Organisation. Goswami said that rescue teams focused on the inundated city of Srinagar and the south Kashmir belt. He said that 7,200 blankets and 210 tents have been distributed among flood -affected people along with 42,000 litres of water, 600kg of biscuit, 7 tonnes of baby food and 1,000 food packets.

Additional water bottles are being airlifted from Delhi and Chandigarh, he said. With a view to providing speedy medical aid to the flood victims, 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services, too, have also swung into action.

Helicopters and aircraft of Indian Air Force have so far airdropped 459 tonnes of relief material, Goswami said.

Army has set up camps where people who have had been just evacuated are kept for 12 to 24 hours before being transferred to relief camps set up by the state government.

Lt Gen. Saha said, "Water level is not significant in Baramulla as it is at just 3ft... We are taking precautionary measures in conjunction with state police and others." Officials said that the situation in Jammu belt has stabilised and the focus is now on providing relief on the ground. Two more units of army and NDRF were airdropped to Pancheri in Udhampur where 30 people are missing after a landslide hit the area.

Meanwhile, the pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district was going on smoothly with over 25,000 people having offered prayers there since yesterday. Helicopter services were also restored today to the cave shrine.