KL Report
SRINAGAR
Top Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visited various flood affected areas in Jammu and Srinagar. He sought immediate package from centre under the National Calamity Relief Fund because the crisis is grave and overwhelming.
After visiting various areas living on the Tawi river in Jammu, Azad landed in Srinagar and visited Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla. He later visited Bemina colony at Haj House.
Expressing his concern Azad said the scale and magnitude of the flood has been much larger than what has been anticipated. Thousands of houses seem to be submerged with basic services badly disrupted and people facing untold hardships. Commenting on the situation Azad said that entire Kashmir valley and Jammu region is badly affected and the situation remains grave with hundreds of villages in Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama, Srinagar districts partially for fully submerged affecting lives of thousands of people.
“Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, I urge the Central government to immediately announce a package for the State from Natural Calamity Relief Fund so that the badly damaged public infrastructures like roads, electricity, drinking water supply, and sewerage, is restored and due compensation to the people who have incurred losses by way of damage to houses, crops, live stocks is paid”, said Azad.
Azad was scheduled to visit Poonch and Rajouri first but the Pir Panchal region is inaccessible from Jammu as well as Srinagar.