Jammu, September 3: Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited flood-affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir, promising relief for victims of recent rains and calling for stronger early warning systems to reduce the impact of natural disasters.
At least 100 people were killed and hundreds of homes damaged in August after a series of cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods swept through the Himalayan territory, one of the worst calamities since the 2014 deluge. More than 5,000 residents have been evacuated to safer areas.
Shah inspected inundated areas of Jammu district, including Mangu Chak village, flood-damaged homes and infrastructure near the Tawi bridge, and met survivors in relief camps. “Health facilities and food arrangements have been made in relief camps and the situation will return to normal very soon. More than 80% electricity supply has been restored,” Shah said.
Seventeen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 23 Army columns, Indian Air Force helicopters, paramilitary units and local police remain deployed in rescue and relief operations, officials said. The federal government has released 2.09 billion rupees ($25 million) from the State Disaster Response Fund to support the effort.
The home minister urged officials to strengthen early warning systems, including those for glacial lake outburst floods, and ordered a critical review of the accuracy and reach of disaster alert applications. “Improving our systems through critical analysis is the only way to move toward a zero-casualty approach,” he said.
Later, Shah chaired a high-level meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior federal and union territory officials. Abdullah welcomed Shah’s visit, saying the priority was “timely relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding lives with resilience.”
Shah also reviewed the region’s security situation and reiterated New Delhi’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, instructing security agencies to remain on high alert and operate in coordination.
