- Home
- Top Stories
Only 4 bodies retrieved, 1300 houses damaged; 128 families shifted in Doda
KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 4/5/2015 1:41:22 PM
JAMMU, Apr 4: Out of seven members of a family feared dead in yesterday’s house collapse, four bodies have been retrieved so far while nearly 1300 houses have been damaged in the mountainous Doda district due to the ongoing spell of incessant rains in the state. 650 people of 128 families have been shifted to safer places from the vulnerable and landslide prone areas in Doda. As many as eight shops, two residential structures, one cow shed have been reported damaged due to the heavy rainfall in Gandoh.
The 300-kms long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for traffic for the fourth consecutive day today due to landslides triggered by heavy rains, leaving over 600 Kashmir-bound passengers are stranded. Batote-Doda-Kishtwar inter-district road also remained closed for the fourth day for traffic in view of landslides at different places, they said, adding efforts are being made to restore the road for traffic.
Saidullah Rangrez from Doda said that Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Bhupinder Kumar while revealing the details of the persons trapped and killed in a tragic landslide in Dewal Kund village of Bhagwah tehsil of Doda said that seven persons of a family were trapped in the debris when their house collapsed due to landslide in the village Dewal Kund of Dessa area of district Doda out of which 4 bodies have been so far retrieved when the reports last came in. He said that the civil administration, police and army with the help of local people have launched the relief and rescue operation in the Dewal Kund village to retrieve the trapped people.
DC Doda also informed that a tentative figure of the number of houses damaged in the district is 1291 out of which 198 got fully damaged, 319 received severe damages while as 774 houses were partially damaged besides 51 animals were reported to be died, 310 cow sheds received damages and 7 religious structures were also damaged due to rains, floods and landslides when the reports last came in. Besides, DC informed that approximately 650 people of 128 families have been shifted to safer places from the vulnerable and landslide prone areas and the temporary accommodations have been provided to them.
In view of the damages caused due to recent rains and landslides in the district, Deputy Commissioner Doda, Bhupinder Kumar has constituted various committees to assess and verify the damages caused to the private property, milch and drought animals, crop losses and restoration of public infrastructure.
The committees so constituted shall work on war footing basis and will furnish the duly authenticated report within three days for further submission to the higher authorities.
All the major and minor roads of the district are blocked, there is shortage of essential commodities in few areas, LPG cylinder are not available in the District and Medical supplies are sufficient till date but shortage may arise in some areas, this was revealed by Deputy Commissioner Doda while briefing the meeting.
Minister for Health and Medical Education, ARI & Trainings Ch Lal Singh accompanied by Minister of State for PWD and Revenue Sunil Kumar Sharma and MLA Doda Shakti Raj Parihar and MLA Ramban Mr. Neelam Langeh today visited flood hit areas of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts and reviewed the damages caused to life and property due to recent incessant rains and landslides in the area.
During the tour to flood hit areas of the Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda, Ch Lal Singh directed the Public Works Department to gear up their men and machinery in restoring the flood damages including road connectivity especially on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway, Doda-Bhaderwah and Thathri-Gandoh roads so that all the essential supplies and medicines could be transported to these disconnected areas at the earliest.
The Minister directed SE PWD (R&B) Division Doda to mobilize their men and machinery and closely monitor the road restoration works. He further directed Deputy Commissioner Doda to personally monitor the relief and rescue operation at Dewal Kund village where 7 people of a family are buried under the debris of a landslide.
Besides, the Minister impressed upon Deputy Commissioner Doda to distribute tents, shift people to the safer places from vulnerable/slide prone areas and provide ration and other essential commodities wherever necessary.
Ch Lal Singh while reviewing the functioning of health system in Doda in view of the recent heavy rainfall in the area enjoined upon the CMO Doda Dr. Yaqoob Mir to streamline the health system of the hospitals in the district and personally monitor all the facilities available to the patients and the attendance of doctors and other staff in the health institutions.
Firdous Khanday from Gandoh said that as per preliminary report, as many as eight shops, two residential structures, one cow shed have been reported damaged due to the heavy rain fall in Gandoh. These structures include two Pacca shops/semi-Pacca houses and 5 Kacha houses. The residential houses and shops belonged to Sarpanch Dadkhi Choudhary Mohammad Hanief, Shah Mohammad and Shokwat Sheikh from Dharveri
As per instructions of high command SDM Gandoh Dr Khalid Malik issued directions for complete assessment of losses/damages to public property in Bus Stand Gandoh Bhalessa. Regarding the damage and restoration of essential services, he said that it was given out that so far as electricity is concerned, so many stations were damaged and they have been restored and the process is in full swing.
Under PHE sector, water supply schemes have been affected. 65 Kilometers of roads have been affected and the concerned officers have been urged to restore the road network for smooth plying of traffic.
A cowshed owned by Bashir Ahmed Kumhar of Gandoh-C came under landslide in which 4 animals died on spot. A team of police and local volunteer reached the spot and started the rescue operation.
As per the report about one dozen residential houses in Gandoh-C got damaged due to recent rainfall. Four structures got damaged in Panchyat Gowari of Gandoh Bhalessa.
People of the area demanded relief package to compensate the loss of property.
Reports from Banihal said that the 300-kms long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for traffic for the fourth consecutive day today due to landslides triggered by heavy rains, leaving over 600 Kashmir-bound passengers are stranded.
Authorities have not allowed any fresh movement of traffic from Jammu to Srinagar or from the other side, SSP Traffic, National Highway, Sanjay Kotwal said.
As a result of closure of the highway, over 600 Kashmir-bound passengers are stranded at the Jammu bus stand for the past three days and are demanding that they be airlifted to Kashmir.
The highway was closed on April 1 due to landslides triggered by heavy rains at several places, he said.
The men and machines of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are working to clear the highway of landslides and make it motorable, he said, adding the highway is expected to reopen by this evening.
About 700-800 trucks are stranded at various places at Jammu, Udhampur, Banihal, Ramban, Batote and Patnitop areas of the highway, he said, adding that all the stranded passenger vehicles have been cleared from the highway.
Meanwhile, the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar inter-district road also remained closed for the fourth day for traffic in view of landslides at different places, they said, adding efforts are being made to restore the road for traffic.
Reports from Rajouri said that heavy rainfall and cloud bursting is so horrible that kids are crying even elders too. Colour of river getting changed into brownish colour due to erosion of soil and seems river will swallow up more if rain will remain continuously falling for next few days. Landslides occurred on hills, no causalities but caused damage to the crops.
People (slum) living below Azad bridge are moved towards safer areas and the Kacha house owners living on the bank of river have been advised to leave their houses and Bela Colony people are asked to stay alert and move towards safer area if possible. Exam giving students are not able to study due to non availability of electricity due to bad weather.
Reports from Poonch said that Minister for CA&PD and Tribal Affairs, Ch Zulfkar Ali today said that main thrust of the government is to ensure a dignified and honorable life for the common man and commended the district administration for its proactive approach in saving human lives by timely evacuation of the people from vulnerable areas during incessant rains and flash flood. The Minister was addressing a public meeting at Dak Bunglow Poonch during his day long tour to the flood hit district.
Assuring that all the people affected by the recent incessant rains and flash flood will be adequately compensated and rehabilitated, the minister said necessary directions have already been issued to the district administration for shifting of vulnerable families to safer places.
Deputy Commissioner, M H Malik apprised the minister in details about the havoc caused by the landslides and flash flood in the district. The meeting was informed that besides 11 Kacha houses and 1 Pacca house that are severely damaged, 36 Kacha houses, 4 Pacca houses and 4 animal husbandry buildings/sheds have been fully damaged due to incessant rains while 11 Kacha houses are severely damaged and 171 are partially damaged. 41 cattle shed and 18 kanal land have been damaged whereas 09 cattle and 10 polutry birds died. 89 EM&RE and 13 PHE schemes have also suffered damages. 55 flood control and 72 irrigation works have been affected while 41 PMGSY roads have suffered damages.
Zulfkar asked the officers to be on high alert besides asking them to set up control rooms at the district and sub-division level to monitor the situation.
MLA, Haveli, Shah Mohammad Tantray, Director CA&PD, G S Chib Senior Superintendent of Police, J S Johar, ADDC, Arvind Sharma, ADC, Mumtaz Ali Chowdhary, ACR Shafiq Ahmed Choudhary, ACD Showkat Mehmood Malik besides several district officers attended the meeting.