In what can cause discomfort to the ruling party National Conference, its alliance partner Congress has now raised questioned over Kishtwar cloudburst tragedy, raising concerns over lapses in preventive measures and rescue operations.
Three days after the mishap ,Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra termed the recent cloudburst and flash floods in Kishtwar as “very tragic,” but raised questions over the 'negligence' of the government, of which his party is an ally. He asked,"why people were alloweed to go there even after an Advisory was issued 48 hours ago for the area....?"There are definitely some gaps in the rescue operations…”, Karra said, adding “This is a very tragic incident. We are going to oversee the rescue operations.
Commenting on the sudden flooding in Kathua, he added, “This is a natural disaster, but we need to see whether the government and its related departments are fully prepared, whether the rescue operations are happening on time or not.”In Kishtwar, efforts were focused on restoring essential services. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said, “There were huge boulders here; they were blasted yesterday. The boulders are being broken down. Rope breakers have been installed due to the possibility that some bodies might be trapped under them. The power supply and water supply have been restored. A bridge is being built here with the help of the Army… All the passengers stranded in Machail were safely evacuated yesterday.”
Meanwhile, in Kathua district, there atleast seven people have died in a landslide triggered by heavy rain. The cloudburst in Kathua, which occurred on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, also damaged a railway track, the national highway, and the local police station. Rescue and relief operations are underway in Kathua and Kishtwar, officials said on Sunday.
Following the cloudburst and landslides, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Central government was closely monitoring the situation and assured all possible support. In a post on X, Shah wrote, “Spoke with the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the cloudburst in Kathua. Relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the local administration, and NDRF teams have also been rushed to the site. Assured of every support from the Modi government. We stand firmly behind our sisters and brothers of J&K.”
The Indian Army is leading ground operations, supported by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), police, and the local administration.
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