JAMMU, Aug 17: With the recovery of three more dead bodies from the debris at cloudburst- hit village Chashoti of district Kishtwar today, death toll in the natural disaster in Machail area has reached 61 in the remote Paddar Sub-Division while rescue operation continued on the 4th consecutive day there.Over 400 jawans of Army, Police, NDRF, SDRF, CISF, CRPF, GREF besides several volunteers of 4-5 NGOs are involved in the operation. The rescue teams are facing lot of difficulties in digging due to spread of big boulders at Chashoti village. Three rock cutters are being used to remove these boulders and dig out the missing pilgrims. With the boulders and stones, the fertile fields of the villagers have also been badly damaged.Officials at Paddar said that GREF engineers team led by OC 118 RCC Maj Jivitesh with the support of local Army unit has started working on a bailey bridge to restore connectivity to the village and the Machail Mata shrine and further intensify the rescue efforts. The administration and rescue teams are presently facing difficulty to move rescue/relief material to the affected area. Today, a temporary foot-bridge was raised over this Nallah near Chashoti for the movement of pilgrims and locals of the area.
The flash-flood triggered by the cloudburst on Aug 14 left a trail of destruction, flattening a makeshift market, a langar (community kitchen) site for the yatra, damaging 13 houses and six government buildings, three temples, a bridge, besides over a dozen vehicles.
SDM Paddar Amit Bhagat said that 53 bodies have been identified and handed over to their next of kin after completion of legal formalities but seven are still unidentified. He said two bodies were found headless while four were lying in the mortuary of GMC Jammu.
Bhagat further said that ten tents were issued to the affected families besides blankets, ration, clothes, ration other eatables and utensils. There was problem of drinking water in the area and water bottles were being supplied to the people there.
General Officer Commanding of the army’s counter-insurgency Delta Force Maj Gen APS Bal said Army engineers have conducted a survey of the area after a need for the bridge was felt.We need a bridge which will be installed to facilitate smooth movement across the river,” the officer said, adding the sub structure will be completed by this evening.
“We are here because of the people. As you know, our country’s policy nowadays is the whole of nation approach. So, if there is any security issue, not just physical security, but all kinds of security has to be provided, the whole of nation approach has to be followed,” he said.
Officer Commanding of 118 RCC of GREF (BRO) said that about 40 mts long bailey bridge is being raised over Chashoti Nallah to ensure connectivity to Machail Mata shrine, Chashoti and other adjoining villages and hamlets. The work was launched today and it will be completed by tomorrow afternoon. The stranded vehicles on Chashoti side will be cleared by tomorrow evening if weather remained clear.
The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.
The rescuers are presently utilising over a dozen earth-movers and other heavy equipment while the NDRF mobilised its resources, including dog squads, to speed up the rescue operation.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma said that three bodies were recovered today and with this the toll has reached 61. He said efforts were on to trace the missing people. Rescue teams comprising the Army, BRO SDRF, NDRF, Police, and local volunteers are working round the clock in difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions to trace the missing persons.
The heavy machinery has been deployed to clear debris and restore connectivity, but frequent landslides and continuous rain are hampering efforts. Several survivors have been shifted to hospitals in Kishtwar and Jammu for treatment. Over 75 patients were shifted to GMC Jammu and most of them are under treatment there. More than three dozens patients are said to be operated there.
Sharma confirmed that relief camps have been set up for displaced families, while food, medicines, and other essentials are being provided. He said Division al Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar; IGP, Bhimsen Tuti and SSP Naresh Singh were also camping there at the site supervising operation.
While locals of the area claimed that about hundred people are still missing in the tragedy, however, the administration claimed more than three dozen pilgrims are still said to be missing.
Several NGOs including Ekal Abhiyan Kishtwar, Hilal Healthcare Society, Ababeel and Tariq Memorial Trust are providing their services and assisting the administration in Paddar area of Kishtwar. .
Reports from Rajouri said that over two dozen houses have been damaged and 20 families evacuated to the safer places after land started sinking at a village in Kotranka (Kandi ) area of Rajouri.
Officials said land started sinking at Panjnara village of Kandi late last evening after heavy rain for the last couple of days in the region. Indian Army’s Romeo Force stepped forward to provide essential support to villagers hit by land subsidence in the Pir Panjal Range triggered by heavy rainfall. The incident caused cracks in over two dozen houses, posing a severe threat to life and property.
Swift action was also taken by DySP Jabeen Akhter, Deputy Controller Civil Defence Rajouri, who, along with SDRF team, worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of the people in the affected area.
ADC Koteranka Dil Mir informed that 20 families have been evacuated to safer locations and ensuring all necessary assistance. The people of the adjoining areas have been put on alert, he added.
About half a dozen houses were also damaged in Thannamandi area of Rajouri during last two days due to rain. The damaged residential structures belonged to Liyaqat Ali, son of Abdul Ghani; Mohd Saghir, son of Hakim Din; Abdul Aziz, son of Israil Mohd; Yaqoob, son of Ismail; Mohd Ashraf, son of Hakim Din and Subash Chander from the area,
The losses have pushed the affected families into hardship prompting residents to urge the district administration for immediate relief and compensation.
Meanwhile, due to rain Dyala Chak- Chhallan (Rankote)- Billawar road has been damaged. Big cracks have been created on the road, suspending movement of heavy vehicles.
Dhar Road was also blocked last evening due to landslide in Udhampur district, it was however, cleared after 3-4 hours, reports said.
Meanwhile, a MeT official has predicted moderate to heavy rain and thunder-storm in Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Kathua, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts during next 48 hours. The people have been advised not to undertake unnecessary travel, specially to the mountainous areas and avoid movement near the banks of the rivers and streams in the region.
