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Social media floods cyber skies with SOS messages

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/9/2014 11:20:05 AM

JAMMU, Sep 8: The social media which mostly serves as a battleground for political ideologies and heated debates played a little different role as the shocking magnitude of the Kashmir floods seems to have urged people to use the medium for better purposes.
The hashtag #KashmirFloods has emerged as a top trend on Twitter and several people tweeting with it, has been sharing information, helpline numbers, addressing and asking questions about ways to send relief to the victims of the flood.
Many of the tweets were trying to inform the media and other organisations about residents and tourists trapped in several parts of the flood-hit state.
Several others have been tweeting out numbers of helplines, agencies which are working with the government machinery for rescue ops and directing people to websites which are trying to provide updates on the situation.
The facebook is also rife with messages in circulation round the clock and some pages like Kashmir floods community and Kashmir Flood Information Channel have become quite popular, both helping in providing some information and adding to confusion.
While the efforts are extremely commendable, there is no way to verify whether the government agencies are tracking social media or identifying people and places that need immediate assistance. Verification of the information provided in the medium is also becoming a challenge as phone networks have acted up and communication in itself has become a hassle. Besides, there is a free for all situation, triggering petty rumours and half baked information as well.
However, the social media sites are helping connect the distressed with local volunteers working on rescue work in Kashmir and helping in chip in their little bit. It is also informing the Kashmiris outside the valley and other concerned people and prompting them to begin collecting relief to be sent to the Valley.